This weekend could tell the story of the NY Islanders 2024-25 season

We're still four days away from the start of 2025 and the NY Islanders may already be in win-now mode.

The Islanders return to action tonight, hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins. In back-to-back nights, they'll face the Islanders, who find themselves well outside of playoff position. The Penguins are one of the teams sitting between them and the Ottawa Senators, who hold the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Heading into tonight's game, the Islanders have 33 points through 35 games - on pace to finish with less than 80 points for the season. Last season, the Washington Capitals finished as the second WIld Card in the East with 91 points, so the Islanders are way behind pace heading into 2025.

The NY Islanders need wins this weekend

While five points isn't an insurmountable amount to make-up, it's the amount of teams that sit between them and that position.

But even if the Islanders were able to keep themselves in the race for playoff position heading into the final month of the season, is sneaking into the playoffs somewhere this organization wants to be again like they have the last three years?

There hasn't been a season in recent memory that would allow the Islanders to acquire assets for some of tehir aging players like this one. Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri are on expiring contracts and could fetch convincing returns, and JG Pageau has one year remaining on his deal and has been in the conversation of trade talks the last two off-seasons. Plus, the question of Noah Dobson's future with this team, who could bring back a ransom.

Tonight and tomorrow could play a major factor in the direction the Islanders take heading into 2025. Win both games and find yourself ahead of the Penguins and back in the thick of the race. Lose both and trail your division rival by eight points, potentially putting the nail in the coffin on the 2024-25 season.