Former Islanders Performances in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

By now you know the New York Islanders didn't make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, it's still an exciting time of year that has seen some really great hockey games already. There are a number of former Islanders on the quest for the Stanley Cup with their new clubs. If you've been following along, you know by now that some have made some serious impacts, and others not so much.

Now that the first round of the playoffs has come to a conclusion, let's check in on some former Islanders and see how they did.

John Tavares

For the sixth year in a row, the Toronto Maple Leafs fall victim to a first-round exit. The result is a bit different than in years prior, as the Leafs took the Tampa Bay Lightning to the very end losing by one goal in Game 7. The Leafs still have decisions to make this offseason regarding whether this is the group that can eventually get over the hump of first-round exits, but they may have convinced management to give them another season to prove themselves after going the distance with the defending two-time champions.

John Tavares, the former captain of the Islanders, is now leading the Leafs with the 'C' on his chest. In seven games before being eliminated from the playoffs, Tavares tallied three goals and three assists. In Game 7, he had a goal called back which would have eventually sent the game to overtime had it counted.

Despite a crucial goal being called back, Tavares has been the subject of scrutiny as many believe he should be providing more for the Leafs in the playoffs as an $11 million per year player.

While he’s been great in winning face-offs (71 per cent) and has some progress from a defensive standpoint, his inability to generate much offence through four games against the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions is becoming a problem.

Devon Toews

This one is going to sting, but Devon Toews has developed into one of the best two-way defensemen in the NHL. Now with the Colorado Avalanche, Toews had a career year tallying 57 points in 66 games. Toews helped the Avalanche sweep the Nashville Predators in four games, making Darryl Sutter's opinion on facing the Avs in round one quite true.

It's going to be a waste of eight days.

Well, it wasn't all true. The Avalanche took care of business in seven days rather than eight. Regardless, Toews had a lot to do with the first-round sweep. Toews scored three goals and five points skating alongside Norris Trophy candidate, Cale Makar.

The Avalanche looked like a juggernaut all season and show no signs of slowing down in the playoffs. It would not come as a surprise to see Toews lift Lord Stanley at the conclusion of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Nick Leddy

The St. Louis Blues acquired Nick Leddy from the Detroit Red Wings at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. Now, it's Leddy's fourth season in a row in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Blues suffered a number of injuries on their blue line including Leddy after Game 1, but he returned to the lineup for Games 5 & 6. The former Islander defenseman tallied his first point and only point of the playoffs so far in Game 6 when he opened the scoring for the Blues, beating Minnesota Wild goaltender Cam Talbot on the rush.

The Blues are relying on Leddy and his playoff experience having been to the postseason a total of nine times before 2022 (four times with the Chicago Blackhawks, five times with the Islanders). His calming presence has had an effect on his teammates that helped the Blues defeat the Wild in six games.

That’s his demeanor — kind of, ‘been there, done that.’ You can throw something at him, and he’s seen it. There’s a reason he’s played that many games in the playoffs. Teams want him this time of the year.

Ryan Strome

Drafted fifth overall in 2011 by the Islanders, it didn't quite work out between Ryan Strome and the team that drafted him. He was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for Jordan Eberle in 2017 and later traded again to the New York Rangers in exchange for Ryan Spooner in 2018.

Strome always showed flashes of his potential, but it wasn't until he was regularly paired with Artemi Panarin that he began to establish himself as a solid middle-six option. Now back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 bubble playoffs, Strome is contributing to the Rangers' early playoff success.

The Rangers overcame the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in their first-round matchup. Strome tallied a goal and five assists skating between Panarin and newly acquired Andrew Copp. Strome's lone goal came on the power play in Game 2 at Madison Square Garden.

With the Penguins in the Rangers' rearview mirror, Strome and the Rangers look ahead to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the playoffs.

Nino Niederreiter

Speaking of former Islander draft picks that didn't work out, Nino Niederreiter has found a home in Carolina. Back in the playoffs for the fourth straight season, the Hurricanes are a favorite to at least make a Stanley Cup Final appearance.

After a hard-fought first-round series, the Canes overcame the Boston Bruins in seven games. Niederreiter scored three goals (one on the power play) on 10 shots in the series and added an assist. Those are some pretty significant numbers from a third-line winger that's deployed on the second unit power play.

Playing alongside Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast, Niederretier and his linemates are proving to be quite versatile on both ends of the ice.

But it’s the defense, the shutting down, that’s truly exceptional — highlighted by the Hurricanes’ difficulty against Bergeron et al when they can’t get the Staal line out against them. Each of the three forwards brings a different element to the trio: Staal’s range and wingspan, Fast’s savvy and indefatigable hustle, Niederreiter’s combination of size and skill.

Jared Spurgeon

Another player who never wore an Islanders uniform, Spurgeon has turned out to be a diamond in the rough for the Wild. The former sixth-round draft pick in 2008 has exceeded any and all expectations since leaving the Islanders and finding a home with the Wild in the 2010-11 season.

Fast forward to today, Spurgeon is the captain of the Wild after Mikko Koivu retired following the 2019-20 season. Spurgeon provided three assists in six games and was a plus-1 after being eliminated by the Blues.

The highlight of his performance in the 2022 playoffs is one Spurgeon will want to learn from and soon forget. The veteran defenseman was fined $5,000 by the Department of Player Safety, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Pavel Buchnevich with a vicious blow to his Achilles. Buchnevich luckily skated away unharmed.

Derick Brassard, Mikko Koskinen, & Chris Wagner

The Edmonton Oilers have advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season. However, Derick Brassard and Mikko Koskinen haven't factored into the Oilers' success. Brassard only dressed for one game and skated for about eight minutes. Mikko Koskinen hasn't seen any time in net either, as Mike Smith has been holding down the goaltenders' crease rather well.

Chris Wagner's time in the playoffs is over, but he did dress for three games for the Bruins. He rotates on Boston's fourth line as a checking forward. He averaged 10:22 of ice time against the Hurricanes but didn't make much difference in the Bruins first-round exit.