In his second stint behind an NHL bench, Patrick Roy will inherit a slightly different team than the one he led in Colorado.
He gets his hands on a team that is maturing and whose best elements are between the ages of 26 and 33. After a 93-point season and a first-round exit to the Hurricanes, there was some expectation for the Islanders heading into the 2023-2024 season.
There are no big stars on offense like Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. However, Roy can rely on a solid core with Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri.
Getty Images via AFP
The Islanders also have forwards whose primary role is defense. This is the case of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, a specialist in numerical inferiority. This also applies to Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas (currently dealing with a lower body injury) and Cal Clutterbuck, the three members of what may be the fourth trio that most closely fits his description: fast, fiery, physical, with a solid focal point in the faceoff circle.
On the blue line, Noah Dobson represents the future of this franchise. At 23 years old, the former Acadie-Bathurst Titan defenseman plays more than 25 minutes per game (25 minutes and 47 seconds) on the ice. In the entire NHL, only Drew Doughty (26 min. 07 sec.) sees more action than him.
He is often paired with Alexander Romanov, another 23-year-old defenseman well known in Montreal.
- Listen to the interview with Nicole Bouchard, long-time follower of Patrick Roy, on the microphone by Alexandre Dubé via
QUB radio
:
A solid goalkeeper
Behind them, Ryan Pulock (sidelined since December 7th), Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield, who provide some stability, had their seasons slowed by injuries.
Getty Images via AFP
The goalkeeper duo is undeterred in front of the net. Last year, Ilya Sorokin was named to the second All-Star team and was also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. His stats are more modest this season, but the boost Roy will bring could benefit him.
He will be supported by 35-year-old veteran Semyon Varlamov (currently injured). The Russian played under Roy during his three seasons at the helm of the Avalanche.
So on paper, the Islanders have a team capable of securing a playoff spot. Especially if they can be healthy. At the time of writing they were just two points behind the last available spot.
Defense first
With a little consistency, New York could certainly rise among the two teams drafted in the East.
Roy's main task will initially be to strengthen the defense. Since the start of 2024, the Islanders rank 27th with an average of 3.89 goals allowed per game. In addition, the new head coach focused primarily on this aspect in his first training session.
Once this problem is resolved, he can cause the attack to restart. Also since January 1st, the New York team has scored 2.56 goals per game and is therefore in the second third of the table. There is hope on this site.
However, streamlining the game in the defensive area, improving the success rate at zone exits and limiting ball losses should already help to improve the situation.