3 things to watch for with Patrick Roy the man in charge of the NY Islanders

Fresh Perspective

The common description of the Islanders' dressing room is that it has a "country club" atmosphere. That may be overstated compared to the Jack Capuano and Doug Weight years, but the perception still remains that the players are too close and too comfortable.

With Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck in the final year of their contracts, the fourth line's clock is ticking no matter what. However, you wonder if Roy will not be as committed to keeping the traditional trio together. That decision isn't needed currently, as Casey Cizikas is on Injured Reserve, but if everyone is healthy, it'll be fascinating to see whether the "Identity Line" is still intact under Roy.

Changes to the lines could be tricky right now as the Islanders are down two forwards, Casey Cizikas and Pierre Engvall. Lately, Oliver Wahlstrom has been the healthy scratch, and Kyle MacLean made his NHL debut in Chicago on Friday night. Fortunately for Kyle, his dad, John, remains part of Roy's staff, presumably for the remainder of the season. Does Wahlstrom get a fresh start under Roy? There are only 37 games left in the season, and the Isles now have multiple teams to jump over in the Eastern Conference. That doesn't allow much time for experimentation.

Roy doesn't know the group too well; he admitted that he's only watched a handful of games. Maybe that's a good thing; he's not coming into this with any predetermined notions as to what this team can and cannot do. During the conference call on Saturday, he said he had some ideas but would share them with the players first and get their input before addressing them with the media.

Things are going to change; you don't make a move like this without expecting or wanting that to be the outcome. How quickly Roy can start to impose his imprint on the organization is anyone's guess, but his hiring should serve as a wake-up call for the entire roster, especially those who don't have their spots in the lineup guaranteed.