The immediate task for the Islanders was the Capitals on Tuesday night at Nassau Coliseum and a chance to match them for first place in the East Division.
This summer’s expansion draft for the NHL’s 32nd franchise, the Seattle Kraken, is still in the distance.
Yet while the players may not be dwelling on the what-ifs or the what’s to come — plus knowing every offseason brings changes — the fact that the Islanders must lose a player to the new franchise does add a hint of urgency to this season’s quest for the Stanley Cup.
The Islanders reached the Eastern Conference final last season for the first time since 1993 and are in the third season under president and general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Barry Trotz.