New York Islanders playoff hopes suffer crushing blow

The New York Islanders’ playoff hopes suffered a crushing blow, as the Isles lost 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning at UBS Arena on Tuesday night.

The loss was the Islanders’ sixth in a row, and now leaves the club five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Bo Horvat scored a shorthanded to tie the game midway through the first period. But then, the Lightning scored twice in the second period to take a 3-1 lead into the final frame. An empty-netter ended the Islanders’ hopes of completing a miraculous comeback on Tuesday night.

The Islanders have eight games remaining, including two against the Washington Capitals. While not all hope is lost for the Isles’ playoffs chances, the club will need to turn things around and win out the rest of the way.

It’s possible. The Islanders are still alive in the race and, well, anything is possible. But the odds of the Islanders making the playoffs has plummeted to 2.9% per Money Puck. So, let’s wait and see what happens in the final eight games this season.

New York Islanders slated to pick 10th overall in 2025 NHL Draft

As things stand, the New York Islanders are slated to pick 10th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Isles are tied with the Anaheim ducks who technically get the 9th overall pick.

Now, would that 10th overall pick be considered be enough of a consolation prize for this season’s missed opportunities? I’m nor sure yet. We’ll do a deep dive into the Isles’ draft choices. But it seems to me that the 10th pick isn’t quite the consolation prize fans would like.

Sure, the Isles can get a great player at #9, #10, #11. But it will take time before said played becomes impactful in the NHL. So, it remains to be seen if that pick will truly be a consolation prize for this season’s pain and suffering.

Additionally, Tankathon shows the Islanders have a 3.5% chance of winning the first-overall pick. That’s an interesting thought as the Islanders could move up past the 10th spot. Realistically, the Islanders could move up a couple of spots, perhaps closer to the sixth or seventh picks.

Another thought comes to mind. Given the way things are going, perhaps the Islanders may consider tanking the rest of the season. It’s a thought, one I’m not quite sure the team would realistically entertain.

Nevertheless, it’s out there. Getting a higher first-round pick would not only increase the Islanders’ chances of nabbing the first-overall pick, but it would also increase the pick’s overall value.

So, the Isles may consider trading down in the first round, potentially getting more value for the pick than the pick itself. We’ll see what the club chooses to do as the season winds down.