New York Islanders' rebuilding plan may quietly hinge on this rising young star

The New York Islanders are at a crossroads this offseason. The team is coming off a disappointing season in which it failed to make the playoffs.

But this season wasn’t the case of the Islanders being a bad team. This season’s fiasco was a mix of an insane number of injuries and inconsistency. That inconsistency, in particular, was the main factor leading to all those blown leads at the beginning of the season.

As the offseason sets in, the question for the Islanders will be, “To rebuild or not to rebuild?”

Let’s assume that a rebuild is the direction the Isles choose to go. Let’s also assume the Islanders bring in a GM and coach committed to a long-term plan to take the team’s current prospect crop and future assets to build a perennial contender.

If that’s the case, the Islanders’ rebuild could hinge on one player: Calum Ritchie.

Calum Ritchie was the main return in the Brock Nelson trade with the Colorado Avalanche this past trade deadline. It’s Ritchie who suddenly elevated the Isles’ barren prospect pipeline into a potentially fruitful one.

But why would an Islanders’ rebuild depend so much on a young, rising star? History tells us that rebuilding teams need a centerpiece to build a team around. It’s happened before and will continue to be an axiom of NHL lore.

The New York Islanders desperately need an infusion of young, high-end talent

Prior to this year’s trade deadline, one of the biggest issues surrounding the Islanders was the team’s lack of young, high-end talent. While there are some exciting prospects in the pipeline like Cole Eiserman, he’s still a couple of years away before impacting at the NHL level.

Other prospects like Isaiah George, who had a cup of coffee this season, project as solid NHLers, but don’t seem like the sort of player the Islanders can build around.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I feel Isaiah George could be a key core member down the road. But one player does not a winning team make.

That is why the Islanders desperately needed high-end players who could come and make an impact sooner rather than later. That situation changed with Ritchie’s addition. While Ritchie may not be the next Auston Matthews or Connor McDavid, he could be good enough to fill a crucial top-six role for the club starting as soon as next season.

It’s also worth pointing out that Ritchie didn’t get a fair shake with the Colorado Avalanche this season. He made the team out of camp in the fall but wasn’t put into a position where he could succeed.

The Avalanche threw Ritchie into the team’s third line, hoping he’d stick. He played well for the most part but struggled to be a dependable middle-six center. That’s something the Islanders must be careful with.

The Isles would do well to insert Ritchie on the wing on, say, the second line, while he becomes acclimated to the NHL. While sending him to the AHL to start the season wouldn’t be a bad idea, Ritchie is ready for the NHL. There isn’t much sense in keeping him in the AHL for too long.

Ultimately, the Islanders, if they choose to go the rebuild route, could build their new core with Calum Ritchie as one of its members. The pieces for a solid foundation are there. So, it’s only a matter of putting them into action.