Who Stays, Who Goes in the Islanders Rebuild

If you’re the New York Islanders and you’ve decided it’s time to rebuild, the big question becomes: who do you build around? Fortunately, there are some solid pieces already in place. You’ve got promising young talent like Matthew Schaefer, Cole Eiserman, Victor Eklund, and Kashawn Aitcheson. So yes, there’s a future taking shape. And yes, Islanders fans, I hear you shouting “Danny Nelson!” That’s fine—he’s part of the picture, and you can be happy with that.

So, who do you keep as part of the core? Who do you see with the team in the immediate future? Let’s start in net. Every team needs a reliable number-one goalie, and Ilya Sorokin is still in the upper echelon of the NHL. He stays. No question.

Next up—defense. You’ve got Schaefer, Kashawn Aitcheson, and don’t forget Isaiah George—some exciting young blueliners coming up. But you’ll still need a veteran presence to guide the kids. I’m keeping Romanov for sure. As for Pulock and Pelech? Maybe one, maybe both, depending on trade value and what direction management wants to take. Or maybe you flip them for fresh blood. Either way, you need stability on the back end.

As I discussed, you have plenty of firepower coming through the ranks. I could have added Alex Jefferies and Russian prospect Ruslan Iskhakov to the prospects. So what forwards do I keep? This is where I will get myself in trouble. Nothing like throwing some controversy into the mix. I am thinking of keeping Horvat or Barzal. Thinking of getting more assets to prospects and picks if I can.

I am going to surprise you with my next group of forwards: Drouin and Duclair to help with scoring. Heineman and Gatcomb are the makings of a solid fourth line. Adding the speed of Maxim Tsyplakov and Maxim Shabanov, two young forwards with a high motivation to succeed, gives me hope for the Islanders’ future.

It’s not going to be easy. Rebuilds never are. But with smart decisions and a clear direction, I see a lot of light at the end of the tunnel. This is just one of many possible paths the Islanders could take. We’ll have to wait and see what Lou and company have in store.

Randy