New York Islanders {15th overall} Eastern Conference, Metropolitan Division
The Islanders had won 42 games for 93 points and the first wild card seeding in the Eastern Conference compiled 25 wins to 13 losses at home and earned a plus-21 goal differential which placed them in the first round versus the second-best team in 2023.
The Islanders goaltender IIya Sorokin has been locked in for eight seasons and his back-up Semyon Varlamov to four-year contract which is great news for a team that finished 5th out of 32 teams in goals against last year.
New York was one overtime win from game seven last year and going into his second year as Head Coach for the Islanders Lane Lambert (1 Stanley Cup as a coach, 1 Calder, and Turner Cup as a player) will no doubt have his team returning to the playoffs.
Buffalo Winter 