The Case for Simon Holmstrom in the New York Islanders’ Top Six

The New York Islanders must explore Simon Holmstrom in the club’s top six. Holmstrom was the Isles’ first-round pick in 2019. Since then, he’s played a total of 125 NHL games, registering 21 goals and 34 points.

In particular, Holmstrom played in 75 games last season, notching 15 goals. That’s not bad for his first full season as a 22-year-old. But here’s where things get tricky. Where does Holmstrom fit into the New York Islanders’ lineup?

Daily Faceoff currently projects Holmstrom on the fourth unit with Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean. While that’s not a bad fourth line at all, in my estimation, Holmstrom is not a grinder. He’s a much more talented player who deserves a chance higher in the lineup.

The most reasonable place for Holmstrom would be the second line. Playing with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri would provide Holmstrom with the opportunity to flash his offensive skills.

Nevertheless, new addition Maxim Tsyplakov figures to play with Nelson and Palmieri. This move makes sense as Tsyplakov plays on the left side while Palmieri plays on the right. So, putting Holmstrom on the second line would mean switching him to the left side.

Similarly, Anthony Duclair looks to slide into the top unit with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. As such, inserting Holmstrom into the top unit would be placing him on the left side. Then, Duclair moves to the second line, with Tsyplakov going to the third line.

Then, one of Anders Lee or Pierre Engvall would need to slide down to the fourth line. Perhaps having Engvall on the fourth line might not be the worst idea in the world. Like Holmstrom, Engvall is too talented to play on the fourth line.

Ultimately, Holmstrom may be destined for the checking line as the New York Islanders depth doesn’t offer much room for Holmstrom to climb up the depth chart.

Injuries or Inconsistency Could Open the Door for Simon Holmstrom in the New York Islanders’ Top Six

As it stands, the only real chance Holmstrom would have of cracking the top six would be as a result of injuries. That situation means that one of Barzal or Palmieri would need to go down for coach Patrick Roy to give Holmstrom a reasonable opportunity to crack the top six.

Inconsistency could also open the door for Holmstrom. For instance, if Palmieri has a terrible year, would the Isles consider moving Holmstrom to the second line and shoving Palmieri to the fourth line?

That situation might seem like a stretch.

As for Barzal, it’s hard to imagine the club taking him off the top line even if he says a rough year. While Patrick Roy may temporarily shake things up just to create a buzz, it’s hard to imagine Holmstrom taking either Barzal or Palmieri’s spot in the lineup.

So, what’s the verdict?

Unless there’s a devastating injury, it’s highly likely that Holmstrom stays in the bottom six to start the season. Unless Holmstrom has an insane year on the fourth line, he’ll be stuck there until a reasonable opportunity opens up. When that happens, the Isles must give Simon Holmstrom the chance to prove he’s got what it takes to be a top-six forward.