From lottery luck to legit threat: The Islanders are back

At this time, just a year ago, the New York Islanders were 9-11-7 and one of the league's worst teams.

There was no heart, and they were regarded as one of the league’s most boring teams.

A season that ended with a 35-35-12 record left many, if not all, Islanders fans hopeless. Not good enough to make the playoffs, not bad enough to have high odds for the first pick.

Just as many fans say, “mid”.

However, on May 5th, everything changed. With a 3.5% chance and the 10th-best odds to win the lottery, the Islanders did the unthinkable. They won the first overall pick and now had the opportunity to select whoever they liked at the top spot.

They obviously took Matthew Schaefer, and what a pick that was. Through 28 games, Schaefer has 20 points and has played a plus-seven.

He looks like the clear Calder trophy front-runner, and his name has been thrown around in Norris trophy conversations.

Schaefer has been great, but the catalyst for this Islander team has, without a doubt, been Bo Horvat.

The Islanders acquired Horvat back in 2023 from the Vancouver Canucks. They sent Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a protected 2023 first-round pick.

Beauvillier played 55 games for Vancouver, racking up 28 points before being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks.

As for Raty, in 60 games played for Vancouver, he has 19 points, so definitely nothing to shout home about; however, he’s still young, so there’s room for improvement.

The Canucks flipped the first-round pick for Filip Hroneck, which ended up being a solid move as he was a catalyst in their successful 2023-2024 season.

As for Horvat, through 190 games, he has 154 points, but he’s started to look like a true star this season.

He’s over a point-per-game (29) through 28 games this season, so there’s been a lot to like for New York since acquiring Horvat.

Another key to success has been the more hands-on approach head coach Patrick Roy is taking with his goalie, Ilya Sorokin.

Last season, Sorokin allowed 2.71 GAA while having 4 shutouts in 61 games.

This year, he’s allowed 2.57 GAA while already having half the shutouts he had last season in only 19 games.

Patrick Roy, working directly with Sorokin, has not only benefited him but also the team.

The youth of this team is also something to keep an eye on. Players like Calum Ritchie, Max Shabanov, Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson are all either already rising in the NHL or are soon to be on their way.

It would be wrong not to mention the two men who’ve been around through all the ups and downs of this team.

Matthew Barzal and Anders Lee have not only stayed loyal to this franchise but also continued to put up solid seasons.

This season, Barzal and Lee have 21 and 15 points, respectively, good for third and seventh on the team.

The Islanders are currently 15-10-3 and have 33 points, which is solely in a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.

They are also tied for the last spot in the metropolitan division and three points back from first in the metro.

To come this far in one season is beyond impressive, and it is a big thanks to Mathieu Darche, who was hired as the general manager in May to replace Lou Lamoriello.

Darche was previously the assistant GM for the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he helped them to two Stanley Cups.

The season is still young, and the Islanders still have lots to work on, but it has been a long time since a New York Islanders team has looked this exciting and electric.

Sawyer Bogaty is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email him at sgb5468@psu.edu.