Why the New York Islanders Will Enter the 2023–24 Playoffs.

With a 42-31-9 record in 2022–23, the New York Islanders just about made it into the playoffs.

They have little chance of making the playoffs again this year, especially since the Eastern Conference has improved significantly over the summer.

Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal are the Islanders’ two best offensive players when they are playing at their best. Whatever success the team has this season will be largely dependent on their output.

In their first six games together, Horvat and Barzal combined for five goals and twelve points, following a midseason trade that brought Horvat to New York. However, their chemistry was short-lived, as Barzal went down with a lower-body injury in mid-February that forced him to miss the remainder of the regular season.

Horvat struggled late in the season and produced lackluster results in comparison to expectations set at the time of the trade for him while Barzal was out of the picture.