Breaking Down the New York Islanders' Roster into Tiers of Roster Safety Ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft

The New York Islanders' search for a new executive(s) to lead the franchise forward is well underway. The search will be extremely expansive

The New York Islanders’ search for a new executive(s) to lead the franchise forward is well underway. The search will be extremely expansive, with no stones left untouched. However, that search will take some time, with a hire figuring to be over a week away.

What is certain is that the Islanders’ roster will change this summer. How much it changes will come down to who gets hired and contract discussions with Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov. With so much uncertainty, it’s time to break down the roster into tiers of roster safety. It’ll range from locks to stay to rumored exits.

Tier #1: The Core

F Mathew Barzal, F Bo Horvat, G Ilya Sorokin

This is the core. At this moment in time, nobody else on the roster is safe. Whether it’s due to roster turnover, high cap hits, or negotiations that could sour, there’s a lot up in the air.

Mathew Barzal missed 52 games this season, but he’s the best skater on this team. His offensive presence was missed heavily, particularly on the power-play set up. Signed through 2031 at a reasonable $9.15 million cap hit and a 22-team NTC, it’s a lock he’ll be back next season.

Bo Horvat saw a sharp decline in production, posting just 28 goals and 57 points over 81 games, his lowest in an 82-game season since he scored 31 and 52 in 2021-22, playing just 70 games. At his exit interview, he expressed frustration with his production, saying he should score 30 goals every season at a minimum. With full trade protection and also being signed through 2031, Horvat will remain an Islander.

Ilya Sorokin is the franchise’s best goaltender since Billy Smith. While a back injury hurt his 2023-24 season, when he was at his best this year, it showed why he signed an eight-year deal. He holds a full no-move clause and is signed through 2032.

Tier #2: Extremely Likely to Return

F Simon Holmstrom, F Maxim Tsyplakov, F Marc Gatcomb, F Kyle MacLean, D Noah Dobson, D Alexander Romanov, D Adam Boqvist, G Marcus Hogberg

This tier includes the youngest players on the roster, all either under contract or pending RFAs. Had Lou Lamoriello not been fired, it would be a done deal that Simon Holmstrom and Maxim Tsyplakov would be in the tier above.

Barring something unforeseen, the pair of RFAs will return. Both produced strong numbers (Holmstrom 20 goals, Tsyplakov 35 points) and bring a lot of value on both ends of the ice. It’ll simply come down to contract talks. For Tsyplakov, there’s an outside chance a new GM could lead to him returning to Russia.

Marc Gatcomb and Kyle MacLean worked very well as a duo. Gatcomb scored eight goals over his 39 games and made the most of his January recall, while MacLean stumbled hard out of the gate but recovered down the stretch. Gatcomb’s an RFA, while MacLean is signed for two more years at the league minimum. It’d be a surprise if either left the organization.

Noah Dobson’s fate became foggy near the trade deadline. Some rumors swirled about Lamoriello including him in an offer for Elias Pettersson, but nothing ever came from it. With a new GM and strong analytics despite a down year offensively, Dobson at 25 is a building block for any GM. He’s an RFA, so barring a snag in negotiations, he’ll be back on the backend.

Ditto that for Alexander Romanov. He’s a young building block for a new GM to build around. Like Dobson, the only way he doesn’t return is if negotiations turn sour and he is shipped out.

Adam Boqvist is here almost exclusively due to his RFA status. Tony DeAngelo told me he “loves” how Boqvist plays, and critiqued the Columbus Blue Jackets for buying him out last summer, along with the Florida Panthers for waiving him. When Boqvist played for the Islanders, he showed well, posting two goals and eight points over 17 games. As a young, controllable asset still with a high ceiling, a new GM will keep him on the cheap. Lamoriello had a deal done with Boqvist, but no one knows where that stands now.

Marcus Hogberg is under contract for the 2025-26 season. Shown to be a serviceable backup before injury, he’ll be back, whether it’s in Bridgeport or on Long Island