Predicting Where the New York Islanders Will Finish in 2024-25 

Predicting Where the New York Islanders Will Finish in 2024-25 

The Best-Case Scenario 

Assuming everything goes according to plan, the Isles challenge the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes for the top two spots in the Metro Division. 

Now, what do I mean by “assuming everything goes according to plan?” 

First, the New York Islanders buy into Patrick Roy’s relatively old-school system. The team plays hard defensively. Every player changes his mindset to a more accountable, defensively responsible one.  

Then, Ilya Sorokin has a Vezina-caliber year. The solid defense in front of him cuts down on shots per game, high-danger chances, and overall workload. As a result, Sorokin only needs to make the saves he should make. 

Lastly, the offense powers up. Mathew Barzal gets close to 100 points. Bo Horvat plays like a number-one center, notching 40 goals and over 80 points. Anthony Duclair has a career year with 40 goals. 

Noah Dobson becomes a Norris Trophy finalist with Maxim Tsyplakov entering the Calder Trophy conversation.  

The secondary scoring steps up. Brock Nelson scores 40 goals. Kyle Palmieri hits the 30-goal mark, while Anders Lee has a renaissance. The bottom six shutdown opponents while chipping in with meaningful offensive seasons. 

In this scenario, the Isles could finish atop the Metro Division or land in second place. If that’s the case, the team could square off against the Canes in the first round, giving the club a chance for revenge from last season. 

With the sort of regular season we’ve laid out, the Isles could make a solid playoff run, potentially returning to the Conference Final. 

While this outcome is plausible, plenty of things have to go right. We have to assume that no major injuries occur. Also, the team’s mindset focuses on playing a 200-foot game every night.