Mathieu Darche and the New York Islanders didn’t make any major offseason splashes, choosing instead to run it back with the core group from last season. Injuries were a primary factor that derailed the team’s hopes, along with significant struggles on special teams. But if you ask me what the next biggest issue was—outside of those two—it was the lack of depth contributions from the bottom six.
With a few new faces added this summer, the Islanders’ bottom six could be better than people give them credit for. When you look at the Florida Panthers’ success over the past few years, the stars are obvious, but their bottom six contributed every shift—and that made a difference.