Preview of the New York Islanders 2023–24 Season.

The New York Islanders are prepared to take on the challenge as they host the Buffalo Sabres at UBS Arena on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. to begin the new season.

“A whole new season has begun.” “It’s an entirely new chance,” stated captain Anders Lee. “New obstacles to overcome, new difficulties, the whole thing… Let’s concentrate on Saturday, move on from there, and keep improving our game and getting things going when the time is right. It’s a grind of 82 games to get [into the playoffs].”

The Islanders have retained their blue line and crease from the previous campaign, so even though it is a new season, many familiar faces can be found throughout the lineup. Up front, there’s also a lot of continuity: Mathew Barzal is gearing up for his seventh full season, while captain Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, and Cal Clutterbuck prepare for their eleventh full seasons with the team. Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin will soon mark their twelfth year of service to the team.

The veterans appreciate that continuity, but the Islanders made some notable offseason departures. Zach Parise is still in Minnesota, thinking about his NHL future, while Josh Bailey was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks and later bought out. Anaheim claimed Ross Johnston off waivers on Tuesday.

Rewind a year, and the Islanders’ opening night roster in 2022 will look very different from this one. This is because general manager Lou Lamoriello made most of his moves and shakes last year, bringing in Pierre Engvall and Bo Horvat, who both feel more at ease now that they have had a full summer and training camp to get used to Long Island.

About this year’s group, Barzal remarked, “I like the look of it.” “Lou is excellent at locating the parts we require all year long. I like our roster right now because we added [Julien] Gauthier this offseason, who has added some size and speed, along with Engvall and Horvat from last year.

Last season, the Islanders had a slow start but rallied for a 19-9-4 finish to make the playoffs. It is hoped that the team that assembled that stretch run will be able to maintain that early-season momentum in 2023–2024.

Check out this year’s squad on NewYorkIslanders.com before the opening game on Saturday.