What went wrong

Powerless power play: Special teams can win games, but New York had trouble scoring with the man-advantage all season; its 16.7 percent success rate ranks 30th in the League, and its 40 power-play goals scored is tied for 25th. Matthew Schaefer (eight) and Lee (seven) were the only players on the team with more than five power-play goals, and only four (Schaefer, Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, Calum Ritchie) had more than 10 points with the man-advantage. The Islanders ranked 31st (12.6 percent) last season and did not take a big enough step forward this season, even after selecting Schaefer with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

Slumping at the wrong time: On March 28, New York was second in the Metropolitan Division, one point ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Since then, it has lost six of seven (1-6-0), getting two of a possible 14 points. That included losing four of five at home, in which they were outscored 22-10. The Islanders went from controlling their destiny to not only needing to win, but also getting help on the scoreboard, which is never a good sign.

Health: New York had some key injuries this season, including to forward Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Alexander Romanov. Palmieri, who played 25 games before an ACL injury sidelined him the remainder of the season, was third on the team in goals (24) and points (48) last season. Romanov, who was limited to 15 games because of a shoulder injury he sustained Nov. 18 that required surgery, was third on the team in ice time last season (22:18), first in blocked shots (164) and third in hits (147). The losses of those veterans were hard to overcome.

Reasons for optimism

Schaefer not slowing down: The 18-year-old defenseman did not disappoint in his rookie season. He is tied for the League lead in goals among first-year players with 23 and is third with 59 points. Schaefer did everything he could with 18 power-play points, four game-winning goals, as well as leading all rookies with 217 shots on goal and 24:41 of ice time per game — almost four minutes more than any of his teammates. The likely Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year made a huge impact offensively and defensively and will continue to do so for years to come.