New York Islanders 2023-24 Season Recap

Another season of high hopes and even higher expectations has come and gone for the New York Islanders, and in what has become a recurring theme, those hopes and expectations were dashed after just 82 games.

For the second time in three years the Islanders did not qualify for the EHE playoffs, and as a way of sifting through the wreckage of another failed campaign, in this article we will assign a letter grade to the Islanders biggest contributers, for better or worse.

Matt Boldy: B

With a full AHL campaign plus one season in the Islanders bottom-6 under his belt, Boldy finally got a regular shot with the big boys (14:19 even strength TOI per game to go with 2:54 on the PP) and he didn't exactly blow the doors off. On the one hand, 17 goals and 26 assists is decent secondary production. On the other, there was an opportunity for the strapping winger to fill a void left by his underperforming teammates. Instead he became just another cog in a sputtering machine.

Mitch Marner: B-

The "other" superstar on Long Island, Marner also failed to shine when his team needed him most, totalling an uninspiring 79 points in 82 games. His grade is elevated somewhat thanks to elite work on special teams, where he led both the Islanders powerplay (38 points; 3:32 TOI per game) and penalty kill (4:17 TOI per game) to fourth in the league.

Nick Paul: B-

There was a time when Paul looked like a decent bet to add a dash of offensive punch to the lineup; those days seem to be over, but the 6'3" center knows his role and fills it well—no more, no less.

Tomas Hertl: C+

Like virtually every other Islanders forward, Hertl saw his production take a dip from 2022-23 to 2023-24. Anchoring the top line, Hertl went from an impressive 41 goals and 49 assists in his debut season in New York to a rather unimpressive campaign of 22 goals and 40 assists. Even accounting for the fact that he wasn't expected to be the main play-driver on his line, there's no denying Hertl underachieved.   

Andrei Svechnikov: C+

The third member of the Islanders supposed top trio, Svechnikov was just as underwhelming as his linemates. Sure, 24 goals and 54 points was a reasonable season for the 24-year-old, but much more was expected, given his 33-goal breakout the season prior—not to mention his obvious talent and physical gifts.

Nathan MacKinnon: C

It was an injury-disrupted season for the Isles captain, who only managed 70 games and never seemed to hit a rhythm thanks to three separate stints on the IR. Even during his healthy stretches, however, the 29-year-old failed to elevate his linemates and posted just 75 points—a massive disappointment for one of the most talented (and highest-paid) players in the EHE.

Jonathan Marchessault: C-

Acquired at a discount thanks to his massive $9.75 million salary, Marchessault's speed, skill, experience, and versatility should have made him a perfect fit for an Islanders team already overflowing with talent. Instead, a pedestrian 18 goals in 68 games and lack of chemistry on any line was enough to get him shipped out of town at the deadline.

Jared McCann: D

With a paltry 38 goals in 155 games on Long Island heading into the season, McCann was already on thin ice. When he added just 9 tallies over the first 39 games, Isles brass had obviously seen enough, moving the so-called sniper to the Boston Bruins in a blockbuster mid-season trade.

Joel Eriksson Ek: D-

After posting 29 goals, 42 assists, and 71 points in 2022-23 it looked like JEE was primed to take on a leading offensive role. An astonishingly poor 13-18-31 follow-up would instead suggest that it's back to the drawing board for the big Swede.  

Rasmus Dahlin: A

Six years after being drafted, the former 1st overall pick had his true breakout campaign; Dahlin played all 82 games, posted 11 goals and 43 assists for 54 points, logged 22:04 of ice time per night on his way to a tidy +13 rating, and just for good measure threw in 166 hits. The Swedish stud couldn't single-handedly drag his team to a playoff spot, but he wasn't far off.

Erik Karlsson: A-

It may have taken him taken three seasons to settle in, but Karlsson's longest stop in the EHE (233 games) finally saw his production match his reputation, with 28 points on the powerplay (11G, 17A) to go along with 64 points overall (the second highest of his career). Throw in 22:00 minutes of ice time per night, and nobody was complaining about an unsightly plus/minus of -7.  

Vladislav Gavrikov: A-

For the second straight year, Gavrikov held down a 2nd pair and PK specialist role to the tune of about 18:30 minutes a night while also chipping in exactly 21 points. The Islanders season was never going to hinge on his performance, so a steady, quiet 80 games merits an 'A' grade, with only a slight knock for his +/- falling from +32 in 2022-23 to +6 this year. 

Gustav Forsling: B

Forsling was more or less the Matt Boldy of the Islanders defense corps; he wasn't expected to be the focal point, and played well enough in his role—but at the same time, he didn't step up to become a difference-maker in a season when his team really could have used it. No team would scoff at 45 points from one of their second-pair defensemen, but it's hard to shake the feeling that, overall, Forsling had more to give. 

Ryan McDonagh: C+

Expected to be the veteran glue in a diverse group, McDonagh was well-suited as the defensive conscience on a pairing with Erik Karlsson, but never seemed comfortable in the leadership role the Islanders had in mind for him. A deadline day trade to Vegas surely wasn't what either side had envisioned when they signed off on a massive extension worth $22 million just two years ago, but by the end it somehow felt inevitable.

Stuart Skinner: A

If there's one thing that might keep Isles head coach Mike Sullivan awake at night this off-season, it's the fact he only gave 21 starts to the up-and-coming Skinner. Certainly a .925 Sv% and 3 shutouts would suggest that maybe, just maybe, the man known as Stu could have saved the Islanders from themselves.

Sergei Bobrovsky: B-

Goaltending was hardly the thing that undid the Islanders season—that would be goal-scoring—and Bobrovsky generally kept the Isles in every game, posting a .909 Sv% across 61 starts while also adding 6 shutouts. And yet, there weren't many nights where Bob stole a win for his team. It seems unfair to blame him for that, but that's life as a #1 goalie in the EHE.

General Manager Kyle Phillips: C

Phillips's two significant "win-now" trades—bringing in Jonathan Marchessault and Trent Frederic for draft picks—looked good in theory but ultimately amounted to nothing. His grade is bumped up slightly for getting a solid return in the Jared McCann deal, as well as a flurry of value-recouping moves at the trade deadline, but there are whispers of eroding patience in the owner's box. The GM's chair has definitely warmed up a few degrees.

Head Coach Mike Sullivan: D

Sullivan's trials and tribulations during his Isles tenure have been well-documented elsewhere. Suffice to say, over three years he has not made the most of the talent on hand, and 2023-24 was no exception. It remains to be seen if he will be back next season.