After discussing the top 6 forwards last week, today I will move on to the bottom 6 forwards.
1) JG Pageau
19 goals
20 assists
39 points
Pageau became a bit of a polarizing figure last year being he was in the final year of his contract. The Islanders put that to bed at the trade deadline signing him to a 3 year extension to remain their 3rd line center. This was unfortunately done right after acquiring Brayden Schenn from St. Louis which rightfully brought on questions from fans and analysts a like. With that being said, on the ice Pageau had his second best goal scoring season as an Islander only behind 21/22 season when he had 18 goals. He also remained a steady force on the PK as well as in the faceoff circle. As we begin to transition more young players into the lineup I can see Pageau providing immense value there as a mentor and steadying presence for them.
2) Simon Holmstrom
23 goals
27 assists
50 points
If you look around the Islanders, nobody is being mentioned more then Simon Holmstrom and what a big season this is for him. With rising salaries and only 1 additional season of RFA eligibility left following this season before he hits UFA the time is now for him to show he deserves a long term big contract with the Islanders. He is a force on the PK most of the time with Pageau, I mentioned above about Pageau being a steadying presence for young players coming up, I feel like we can look at Holmstrom to see what he can do in that department. Back to Holmstrom, he has growth to do outside of the penalty kill to fully grow into the top 6 forward the Islanders need him to be. I hope he is able to do it but I am not sure and my projections reflect that.
3) Matias Maccelli
17 goals
30 assists
47 points
When non tender lists started passing around in the days before free agency started, the name that intrigued me most was Maccelli. So, I was pretty pleased when we took a flier on him when free agency opened. Unfortunately, he was our lone addition after saying goodbye to Anders Lee when he signed in Utah. Though known as more of playmaker, he still put up 14 goals on a pretty rough Toronto team last season so he does have goal scoring ability. If he is able to get to around my projection that would essentially be a wash with Lees goal total from last season. He is still only 25 years old so if he manages to figure it out and fit in, he could be a member of this core for years to come.
4) Emil Heineman
18 goals
13 assists
31 points
Do I think Heineman is best used in this spot? Probably not, however, given the type of game he plays I think he fits best compared to the other players in the lineup. I think he will see a little bit of a dip in goals from getting less top 6 time. With that being said, I think he will still be very effective for us this season cementing himself as a fan favorite and hopefully a member of this team long term.
5) Casey Cizikas
12 goals
10 assists
22 points
With the departure of Lee to Ottawa, Cizikas is now the longest tenured Islander playing his first game for the team back in the 2011-2012 season. This is a big year for Cizikas as his contract expires at the end of the season. Though he isn't the player he once was, he is still an effective grinder and penalty killer out there and is the heart of the team. I expect him to be effective this season, but to skate off into the sunset like his former line mates at the seasons end because I don't see Darche extending his contract passed this season as he tries to transition to a younger lineup. Not many guys play their entire career with one organization now a days and Cizikas has the opportunity to do that.
6) Anthony Duclair
15 goals
10 assists
25 points
Do I think Duclair will spend the entire season in the lineup? Absolutely not, however, comparing him to the other options I think he is most likely to be in this spot when they break camp in a few weeks. Though his two way game is lackluster to say the least, he does produce offensively when in there. For a team that struggles to score like we do, we need all the goals we can get.
Honorable Mention:
Ondrej Palat
The only player more polarizing then Brayden Schenn might be Ondrej Palat. I was a little perplexed that Darche didn't buy him out, but were here now and he will be here as well. After watching him for the better part of 2 months last season I don't expect anything from Palat this year. My main expectation for him this season is to have a seat reserved for himself in the various press boxes across the NHL. Will he get into a few games here and there? Probably, yes. However, I don't expect to see him often at all because as we saw last season he doesn't really have anything to give and now he is a year older.
Pierre Engvall
Engvall is back after missing all of last season with multiple injuries. Between him and Mayfield, they are Lou's gifts that keep on giving. At this point I don't see a role for Engvall on this team anymore. The problem with that is he still has 4 years left on the contract Lou gave him, as I said the gift that keeps on giving. Barring something unforeseen, I expect Engvall to be buried in the AHL to start the season and unless he surprises a lot of people to probably spend the entire season down there.
Liam Foudy
One reason I expect Engvall to struggle to get called up is because of players like Liam Foudy. He got in the final game of last season and seemed to impress many people. I firmly expect him and several others to be ahead of Engvall on the injury call up chart.
