Patrick Roy returning means Islanders aren’t ready to quit just yet

Wow, what a great decision that was if you’re an Islanders fan and if you’re not interested in watching your team tear everything down. Mathieu Darche made the confirmation earlier that Patrick Roy would return. And if the team was about to enter a long, drawn-out rebuilding phase, I’d find it very hard to believe he’d hang on to Roy. 

For a while, and rightfully so, it seemed like the Islanders were at a crossroads. Former general manager Lou Lamoriello was notorious for backing his team against the cap, trading away future assets, and bringing in a brand of players that never really suited the current game. And it culminated with his ultimate departure. 

Still, when I look at the Islanders lineup, I can’t help but think a few tweaks and a decent pipeline are all his team needs. Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Simon Holmstrom, Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Adam Boqvist, Scott Perunovich, and Ilya Sorokin make up a good core. Add Cole Eiserman and Calum Ritchie, and I love the direction this team’s heading. 

Islanders have enough to work with to go without tearing it down

Oh, and in case you still haven’t heard, this team has the No. 1 pick, which, at this point, may not signal that painful rebuild. Or, at least that’s what common sense tells me. Add (presumably) Matthew Schaefer or Michael Misa to that core, and wow, you got at least one player to build around. 

If you’re rooting hard for this team, chances are, you couldn’t have asked for a better scenario. The Islanders still got a solid core even if it still needs work, they got their coach, they’re in a prime position to move around some aging assets and further add to that core, and they got the first pick. If you ask me, it’s game, set, and match. 

This doesn’t mean the Islanders will return to the playoffs after a season of dormancy. But the floor heading into 2025-26 is much higher with Roy returning to the Islanders bench. That said, the NHL still has a ‘fire culture’ for head coaches, and I’d ask Darche to exercise some patience if and when things look murky this season because there will be a learning curve, guaranteed. 

Nevertheless, the Islanders are in a pristine position to bounce back

This is a situation those whose teams look like they’re on the decline could only dream of having. Or, those who look like fringe contenders. Look at teams like the Buffalo Sabres, who have, at best, been a fringe contender, and at worst have been, well, what you saw this past season. 

Or the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yeah, the Pens are in a different situation, as they’d like to supplement that aging core. But could you imagine what could be in the Steel City if they just had some stability?

That’s what I’m getting to with the Islanders. Having Patrick Roy back in town will bring that stability, even if Darche moves older players. But if he keeps that younger and even middle-aged core together while adding either Schaefer or Misa, this team will ride again sooner than many of us may have otherwise believed.

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