NY Islanders Plus/Minus 2023-24: Scott Mayfield with a point to prove in year one of a new contract

PLUS

The first thing anyone notices about Mayfield is his size. At 6'5" and 220 lbs, Mayfield has the ideal body type of a defensive defenseman. He may not be the team's top shutdown defenseman, but he has upside for a bottom-pair blue liner.

With his big body, one thing Mayfield does better than anybody else on the team is block shots. Mayfield got his body in front on 168 shots last season, far better than any other Islander, as Alexander Romanov was second on the team with 129. Not only is he the Islanders' top shot blocker, but he was among the league's best last season, finishing ninth overall.

Despite not being one of the more skilled defensemen for the Isles, Lane Lambert has for sure shown his trust in Mayfield, as his 21:01 of ice-time per game was second on the team only to Adam Pelech (21:39). He may not see any time on the power play, but at even strength and short-handed Lambert doesn't hesitate to send his big defenseman on the ice during critical situations.