therwise, the team needs a major injection of skill overall. Lou's "better than the sum of the parts" approach to team-building probably won't change, so the owners may need a new GM to get better parts.
Maybe. The biggest things the problems the Isles face going forward, in my opinion:
1) Lack of offense from the defense - So much of todays NHL builds offense from low to high and point shots and transition. Dobson is the only above average offensive defenseman. This would help the PP as well.
2) Regression of Lee and Pageau, coupled with their contracts
3) Potential regression of Palmieri and Nelson
4) PK replacements and improvement
A difficult decision will need to be made about Nelson, because he has value to the team, but also would to others. Lee and Pageau are stickier wickets because they're obviously regressing.
No, not really. They are playing a cup contender that is absolutely STACKED top to bottom. Look at their lineup! Impressive. The Islanders are not that.
Honestly, the Hurricanes obviously have a good team, but on paper they're not really stacked or anything. They don't have a Matthews or Panarin or Pastrnak or anything like that. I don't think their talent is in a different galaxy from the Islanders really. I do think they're assembled more judiciously, though, with a clearer overall vision as to what they want their team to be like. Everything moves in the same direction with them, whereas you can't really say that about the Islanders.