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

The Worst-Case Scenario 

This scenario is easy to describe. Everything falls apart. Injuries and inconsistency take hold. As a result, performances fall well below expectations. Players like Barzal and Horvat produce well, but not at the expected level. 

On the other end, Sorokin carries the team most of the season. However, he runs out of gas, forcing Roy to turn more to Semyon Varlamov during the second half of the season. Sure, Varlamov plays well, but not well enough to keep the Isles in the playoff hunt. 

Meanwhile, the secondary scoring dries up. We can expect Brock Nelson to play well. Unfortunately, Palmieri falls way short of expectations while Anders Lee finally shows clear signs of a decline. 

The bottom six does not contribute offensively while disappointing defensively. The blue line delivers below expectations, failing to alleviate the burden on Sorokin and Varlamov. 

Under these circumstances, the Isles fall well out of playoff spot. If things really go south, the Isles could be in contention for a lottery pick. The club could finish at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, potentially costing Patrick Roy is job. 

In my estimation, this scenario is unlikely to play out. Nevertheless, fans should not disregard it from happening. Like the best-case scenario, a lot of things have to go wrong.  

Think about it this way: It’s Murphy’s Law. Everything that could go wrong, does, leaving the Isles in one heck of a pickle next off-season. The narrative would then turn into a discussion of a rebuild, potentially letting veteran players walk or buying out others.