New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) during the second period of the Round 1 game 3 2015 Stanley Cup Playoff game between the New York Islanders and the Washington Capitals played at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale,NY. The New York Islanders defeat the Washington Capitals 2-1 in overtime. 19 APR 2015 (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

2014-15 Retrospective

Last season, the New York Islanders finished in third place (101 points) in the Metropolitan Division, bowing out of the playoffs in the Conference Quarterfinals after losing the series to the Washington Capitals. They notched 47 wins, 28 losses and seven overtime losses, besting their previous season win total by 13 games.

What Would Make 2015-16 a Success?

Last year they played their final game in Nassau Coliseum, which was opened in 1972. They made the move 28 miles west this summer from Uniondale, New York to Brooklyn, New York and will begin the 2015-16 campaign in the Barclays Center (it was opened in 2012 for the NBA’s New York Nets). Could this herald a new sense of purpose among the players?

With a majority of their core from last year’s playoffs–John Tavares, Jaroslav Halak, Brock Nelson, Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy, to name a few–returning to the fold, they are one year wiser and seemingly ready to make a deeper run in the post-season.

Led by their captain, the 24 year-old Tavares, they are quietly going about the business of being a better team. Tavares is one of the game’s most gifted players in that he goes about the business of hockey and leadership in an understated fashion. His 86-point season was good enough for second overall in the NHL scoring race.

L.A. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick summed up the play of Tavares to The Players Tribune:

“Tavares doesn’t kill you with one thing, he kills you with how insanely balanced his game is in all aspects. Tavares can deke you, or roof a shot, or make a great pass, or if nothing is there, he’ll do the smartest thing and chip it in deep to live another day.”

The supporting cast surrounding Tavares can hold their own offensively, and includes Ryan Strome, Kyle Okposo, Anders Lee and Josh Bailey, among others. They were able to find the back of the net 252 times last season, and there’s no reason to think that they cannot increase that number.

Add to this potent offense the possibility of Michael Dal Colle, drafted by the Isles fifth overall in 2014, attempting to make the transition to the NHL-level out of training camp.

With a solid defensive corps bolstered by the additions last year of Boychuk and Leddy, they are able to play the transition game well. Goaltending is not an issue, with Halak (38-17-4 in 59 games, a 2.43 goals against average and .914 save percentage), minding the store for the Isles.

The offseason was a relatively quiet one for GM Garth Snow, subtracting defensemen Lubomir Visnovsky, Griffin Reinhart and goalie Michal Neuvirth, while adding goalie Thomas Greiss to back-up Halak.

What Could Derail the Islanders?

With the Barclays Center a mere six miles from Madison Square Garden (home of the New York Rangers), a big question mark surrounding the Islanders is if they can make home-ice advantage work for them, especially when they play their closest rival. There will also be a period of adjustment as the players get comfortable in their new surroundings. Can they make Barclays Center a tough barn to play in for an opponent? If not, almost every game will seem like a road game.

“We want to make it a tough place to play right off the bat,” captain John Tavares told NHL.com. “I don’t think too many teams enjoyed [going to the Coliseum], so you want to bring that same kind of feel to [this] season.”

Is This a Playoff Team?

With a very good offense, solid defense and a steady hand in goal, the Islanders should make a return trip to the playoffs. The onus is on them to win a playoff series, as they have been unable to do so since 1993.

How they finish: 48-26-8 (104 points), second in the Metropolitan Division.