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3 Takeaways from the NY Islanders 2023-24 Season

By Michael Stahurski |
New York Islanders v Carolina Hurricanes - Game Five
New York Islanders v Carolina Hurricanes - Game Five / Grant Halverson/GettyImages
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The NY Islanders 2023-24 season is in the books, eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes for the second year in a row.

It was a roller coaster of a season from game one of the regular season, as Scott Mayfield was injured blocking a shot and never really returned to full health. 

Injuries riddled the defensive corps all season, forcing Lou Lamoriello to trade for Robert Bortuzzo and claim Mike Reilly off waivers. Bortuzzo missed most of the season with a lower-body injury, while Reilly became one of the team's most reliable defensemen all season, offering another element of offense from the blue line. 

The Islanders goaltending, which has been a strong suit for the organization over the last few seasons, fell off for most of the year with Ilya Sorokin having the worst season of his career going as far back to his time playing in the KHL. 

Squeaking into the playoffs for the second season in a row, the Islanders failed to make a deep postseason run with an aging roster. Despite not reaching their ultimate goal, there were some positives to go along with the negatives this season. Here are three takeaways from the Islanders' 2023-24 season.

It’s time to break up the Identity Line

It’s been a hell of a ride for the Islanders fourth line, once deemed to be the best fourth line in hockey. 

Playing the majority of their time together for three seasons from 2013-2016 and again between 2018 and now when the Islanders re-acquired Matt Martin from the Toronto Maple Leafs, it appears age and the game's speed have caught up to the three-some.

Martin and Cal Clutterbuck will see their contracts expire come July 1, with their futures not only with the Islanders but in the NHL up in the air.

Clutterbuck has expressed his desire to continue playing despite his history of injuries over the last few seasons. This season was the first of his career he’s appeared in all 82 games.

“If my season hadn’t gone well this year, if I had another major injury, maybe I would have something to think about,” said Clutterbuck last month according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. “But in my mind, I think I’m still capable. And it’s another one of those things where I honestly haven’t given it that much thought. It’s something that’ll work itself out.”

Martin is 34 years old and his game has diminished as of late. He has a lot of wear and tear on his body due to the physical nature of his game, trailing only Clutterbuck on the all-time hits list. He missed the final two games of the playoffs due to a lower-body injury, and if he were to call it a career, it would be due to his body not allowing him to go any further. 

If Martin hangs up his skates this off-season, he’d likely remain in the organization in some capacity similar to Johnny Boychuk and Denis Seidenberg. 

Casey Cizikas still has three years remaining on his contract and continues to be a valuable part of the lineup. He’s 33 years old but still has the legs and the skill to contribute every night.

Moved to the wing down the stretch of the season, he’s shown his versatility as a critical cog alongside Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat. The emergence of Kyle MacLean has made Cizikas’ role on the fourth line expendable, as he can be deployed in other positions moving forward.

Shifting Mat Barzal to the wing was the correct decision

Playing center for his entire career until the Islanders acquired Horvat at last season's trade deadline, Barzal ultimately became the top-line winger the islanders were searching for.

Shifting Barzal to the wing has allowed him more offensive freedom without taking on the defensive responsibilities of playing the center position. 

Barzal finished the season having his best statistical year since his rookie campaign when he won the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year. His 80 points in 80 games this season were second only to that rookie season when he finished with 85 in 82 games.

Horvat and Barzal have built a chemistry playing to both of the team's star players’ strong suits. Barzal now has a goal scorer on his side to whom he can distribute the puck and Horvat has a playmaker who can find him in the smallest of pockets on the ice. 

Horvat and Barzal will in all likelihood be paired together for most of their careers, with both having 7 seasons remaining on their contracts with the Islanders.

Now the Islanders will turn to finding another winger to complete the first line and make them one of the league's most formidable.

The Islanders have found their Head Coach in Patrick Roy 

It wasn’t a move Lamoriello wanted to make, letting go of Lane Lambert, but it was a necessary one. 

While Lambert was on the hot seat, plenty of names were circulating as replacements, but few people had Patrick Roy pegged for the role.

The Islanders didn’t have the initial jump that teams typically have after firing a head coach, but the spark came later in the season resulting in multiple 6-game winning streaks and seeing the Isles claim third place in the Metro Division. 

When hired, there were no contract details given regarding Roy’s future with the team. Going 20-12-5 in 37 games with the Islanders, there’s little doubt that he’ll be back next season, in charge of the ship once again.

This time he’ll have a full training camp to lay the foundation for the style of play he is looking for out of his team, without having to piecemeal it together little by little mid-season.

Roy demands a lot of his players and requires a willingness to play in all three zones while sacrificing the body. There isn’t much room for change within next year's roster but he’ll undoubtedly have some say along with Lamoriello in the type of players he'd like to add for next season.

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