The 2024 calendar year was filled with ups and downs for the New York Islanders. The year started with a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on New Year’s Day and is ending with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Year’s Eve. Between these two games, the Islanders have gone through quite a lot. At the 2023 Trade Deadline, General Manager Lou Lamoriello made a big splash, landing Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat on January 30th. However, two weeks later, the Islanders lost star forward Mat Barzal for the season in their February 18th matchup against the Boston Bruins.
Despite Barzal’s injury, the team finished the season 4th in the Metropolitan Division and earned the first wild card spot in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, their run fell short, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs. Heading into the offseason without a first-round pick and minimal cap space, the Islanders made no significant moves to the roster. The only relevant move was sending Josh Bailey to the Chicago Blackhawks. Besides this, the Islanders’ only other roster move was adding Julien Gauthier to the roster.
Islanders Have 3 Rookies on Roster in 2024
The first bold prediction for the Islanders in 2024 is they will have 3 rookies become full-time NHLers at some point this calendar year. With the Ilya Sorokin extension kicking in this summer, the Islanders will be tight to the cap, again, even with the salary cap expected to rise to $87.675 million next season ($4.175 million increase from 2023-24 season). As a result, expect some notable prospects to push for roster spots out of camp.
Ruslan Iskhakov
The without-a-doubt favorite to become a full-time NHLer for the Islanders this year is 23-year-old center Ruslan Iskhakov. Iskhakov, a 5-foot-8 center from Moskva, Russia, currently has nine goals and 23 points in 28 games for the Islanders’ AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders. Leading the team in points, he has shown his ability to lead an offense at the professional level on North American ice. With the NHL roster lacking offense and speed from the left side, Iskhakov could be a valuable call-up for the Islanders this season as the team prepares for a playoff push. After all, the Bridgeport Islanders currently sit last in the AHL standings with 20 points, so Iskhakov’s loss will not be important to the AHL team’s performance….
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