Islanders add forward depth with Panik, seek to go deeper in playoffs
Aho could get full-time role at defensemen after Leddy trade
2020-21 season: 32-17-7, fourth in MassMutual East Division; lost in Stanley Cup Semifinals
Key arrival
Richard Panik, F:The 30-year-old was acquired, along with a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft (forward Aatu Raty, No. 52), from the Detroit Red Wings in a trade for defenseman Nick Leddy on July 16. Panik scored 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 48 games with the Red Wings and Washington Capitals last season.
Key departures
Jordan Eberle, F:He was selected by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft on July 21 after scoring 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists) in 55 regular-season games and 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 19 playoff games last season. … Nick Leddy, D: He scored 31 points (two goals, 29 assists) in 56 regular-season games and had six assists in 19 playoff games last season. … Michael Dal Colle, F: He did not receive a qualifying offer from the Islanders and is an unrestricted free agent. Dal Colle scored four points (one goal, three assists) in 26 games last season. ... Kyle Palmieri, F: He is an unrestricted free agent but could return to the Islanders after he scored 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) in 51 regular-season games for New York and the New Jersey Devils, and nine points (seven goals, two assists) in 19 playoff games. ...Casey Cizikas, F: He is an unrestricted free agent but could return after he scored 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in 56 regular-season games and five points (two goals, three assists) in 19 playoff games.
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On the cusp
Otto Koivula, F:The 22-year-old scored nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 20 games for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League last season. … Robin Salo, D:The 22-year-old agreed to a two-year, entry-level contract Feb. 12 and scored 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) in 51 games for Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League last season.
What they still need
To replace Leddy. The 30-year-old averaged 21:35 of ice time per game last season, second on the Islanders behind defenseman Ryan Pulock (22:26), and led New York with 11 power-play points. They did sign defenseman Adam Pelech to an eight-year contract Aug. 6 to avoid a salary arbitration hearing. The Islanders also could also use another scorer after they were shut out by the Tampa Bay Lightning in Games 5 and 7 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals.
They said it
"I think a big emphasis on the offseason was to keep this group together as much as we could. It's really tough losing those two guys [Eberle and Leddy], they're great players and great teammates, but unfortunately that's the business. At the end of the day if we can keep most of the team together, I think everyone, at least all the players, we'd be thrilled with that. That's what we want from the offseason. We want to keep this group together. We're a tight group and we know that together we can do something special." -- defenseman Adam Pelech
Fantasy focus
The Islanders are the only team with two goalies among the fantasy top 10 at the position. Semyon Varlamov (seven shutouts last season, tied with Philipp Grubauer for most in NHL) is ranked fourth, and Ilya Sorokin (13-6-3, .918 save percentage, three shutouts in 22 games as a rookie) is ninth. They have led the NHL in team save percentage in two of their three seasons under coach Barry Trotz (.921 last season, .925 in 2018-19) and now have the most valuable fantasy tandem after the Vegas Golden Knights traded Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks on July 27, which split up the prior top stack of Fleury and Robin Lehner. -- Pete Jensen
Projected lineup
Anders Lee -- Mathew Barzal -- Oliver Wahlstrom
Anthony Beauvillier -- Brock Nelson -- Josh Bailey
Leo Komarov -- Jean-Gabriel Pageau -- Richard Panik
Matt Martin -- Otto Koivula -- Cal Clutterbuck
Adam Pelech -- Ryan Pulock
Sebastian Aho -- Scott Mayfield
Andy Greene -- Noah Dobson
Semyon Varlamov
Ilya Sorokin
