For all of the Islanders’ success to start this season — and an 0-2-1 California trip should not detract from that — an inability to find the four-line balance that marked last season’s playoff-bound team is starting to sorely stand out.
The root cause stems from a positive development: Derick Brassard has been much more productive as a top-six right wing than as a third-line center, which was the Islanders’ original intention when they signed him.
That has left coach Barry Trotz searching to find a fourth center after Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Casey Cizikas.