5 Islanders players who must bring their A-Game in February to stick around in the playoff hunt

Simon Holmstrom’s under-the-radar season should keep trending north

While Kyle Palmieri is the most notable name on that second-tier, he’s also in the game often, averaging 16 minutes and 58 seconds of total ice time. Therefore, a player constantly leading the lower lines like Holmstrom provides yet another major supplement to a winning formula. 

Holmstrom isn’t on the ice long, averaging just 13:24, and that number won’t rise. But he’s also making the most of his opportunities with 12 goals and a remarkable 25.5 shooting percentage. It should go without giving it much consideration that Holmstrom is one of the team’s most accurate scorers, and he needs to make even more of those scoring opportunities. 

Doing so gives the Islanders an ultra-dangerous winger on the bottom-six, and given their overall meager ranking in scoring, Holmstrom will give this team a major boost. Right now, he has just 47 shots on goal in 49 appearances, and that number must soar for him to keep reaching new heights. 

It’s also worth noting that Holmstrom has 31 takeaways this season, so he can even create more opportunities if he keeps finding ways to get his stick on the puck when New York isn’t in possession. 

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference as of February 7th)