Capitals vs. the Metro: Islanders Have Quiet Offseason

Rounding out the New York-New Jersey team previews for the Metropolitan Division are the New York Islanders. They finished third in the division during the 2023-24 season, right above the Capitals and with three more points in the standings. Only the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes finished higher in the division. How much changed with the Islanders roster from 2023-24? What kind of threat do they pose for the Capitals in 2024-25?

New York Islanders’ 2024 Additions:

Unlike other organizations in the Metropolitan Division, the New York Islanders did not make many moves in the offseason. The notable name they brought in from free agency was winger Anthony Duclair. He signed a four-year contract worth $14 million. The Islanders are Duclair’s ninth team in his career. However, he received a deal with four years, meaning that he would finally have a home for a longer time. He is someone who has earned a long-term contract. This included a 2021-22 campaign with the Florida Panthers when he reached the 30-goal mark with 31 goals, while also notching 27 assists for 58 points. Last season, he was with the San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning. He posted the following stats for both teams below:

• 2023-24 (San Jose Sharks): 16 goals and 11 assists for 27 points in 56 games
• 2023-24 (Tampa Bay Lightning): eight goals and seven assists for 15 points in 17 games

If Duclair gels well with the rest of this Islanders team, they could be a dynamic addition to the offense.

Other than that, the Islanders basically kept the same roster. Patrick Roy will be behind the bench for his first full campaign for the franchise. He finished the 2023-24 season with a record of 20-12-5 in 37 games. The club also made the postseason, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Longtime NHL general manager and Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Lamoriello will also be in his seventh season with the club. The Islanders hired him in May 2018.

2023-24 Season Series:

Washington and the Islanders met four times this past season. The teams split their wins, both skating away from the series with two each. The first matchup between both clubs was on November 2 at Capital One Arena in Washington. The Islanders shut down the Capitals’ offense and won the game by a 3-0 score. Goals for the Islanders came from Ryan Pulock, Simon Holmstrom, and Brock Nelson. Islander netminder and former Capital Semyon Varlamov stopped all 32 shots in the victory.

The second time these teams squared off was on November 11 at UBS Arena. This time, Washington was on top as they defeated the Islanders, 4-1. The Capitals’ offensive contributions came from Alex Ovechkin with two goals, Nic Dowd, and Aliaksei Protas, Capitals goalie Hunter Shepard turned away 36 of 37 shots to help grab a crucial win for the club.

Washington Capitals center Nic Dowd (26) in action during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

December 20 was the third game in this series. Washington got their second victory against the team, 3-2. Hendrix Lapierre, Joel Edmundson, and Dylan Strome netted the goals for the Capitals, while the Islanders got their tallies from Hudson Fasching and Anders Lee. Then, the last matchup between both franchises took place at UBS Arena on December 29. The Islanders came up on top with a 5-1 victory. The only Washington tally was from Nicolas Aube-Kubel in the third period. The Islanders got stellar offensive production with goals from Jean-Gabriel Pageau twice, Noah Dobson, and two goals from Julien Gauthier.

2024-25 Season Series

This time around, the organizations will meet a total of three times. Two of those three will be on the road at UBS Arena. The first matchup will be at home for the Capitals on November 29 at 3:00 P.M. The two games at UBS Arena will be on April 6 at 12:30 P.M. and April 15 at 8:00 P.M.

Some players who can be dangerous for the Islanders that the Capitals must watch out for include Ilya Sorokin between the pipes. When he is playing at his best in the crease, he is one of the best netminders on the planet. Also, Washington must look out for Mathew Barzal, possibly Duclair if he can put up close to career stats with them, Bo Horvat, Noah Dobson on the blue line who can also contribute offensively, and Anders Lee who was close to hitting the 30-goal mark in 2022-23, and has tallied 40 in a campaign for them before.