A friend and I were discussing some of the Islanders’ concerns going into the season. The biggest issue is the lack of scoring. Barzal and Horvat cannot do it all; the secondary scoring has to pick up the slack. So who is capable of picking up the slack?
Today, I will highlight three players who possess the ability to do that. Not that there aren’t more players who could be held accountable, but I feel that these three are the best candidates. Here are the players in no particular order.
Anthony Duclair
First, we need a healthy Anthony. It goes without saying that Anthony has some skills, the most significant of which is his sneaky wristshot. Duclair has the hockey IQ to know where Horvat and Barzal want him to be. The Isles need 30 goals from him. If he can achieve this, it will go a long way toward the Islanders’ success.
Simon Holmstrom
Simon has a very underrated wrist shot; the Isles need him to use it more. The answer itself is simplistic, but it’s harder to achieve. We need Simon to bring that intensity to the open spots when he takes the shot. Trust me, if he does this, Barzal or Horvat will find him. If he can find a way to score 25, you will see a smile on Roy’s face.
Anders Lee
Anders could be nicknamed the Garbage Man. With all due respect, many of his goals will be in front of the net off rebounds. The most significant contribution from Anders is getting off to a better start. If Lee can contribute to the power play and score his regular 30 goals, the Isles would be ecstatic.
Final word
Even if the Isles get all three players to reach these expectations, there is no guarantee they will be successful, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. No one ever said it would be easy, but they did say it would be worth it.
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