1. There are thirteen signed forwards, and Brock Nelson. No one else is being signed unless there is a trade, players are hurt in camp, or someone fails to win a job among Bridgeport/prospects.
The roster spots at this time are completely filled.
2. They do not need another Eaton, Staios, Mottau ect signing to add depth on defense that will not help the team. The defenders in UFA have struggled or want too much money, it's not last summer here with a defensive roster clearly not capable of competing. The prospects are a year older/closer and need a look in camp.
3. The Boston Bruins finished fourteen games over five hundred with ninety six points, and failed to qualify for the playoffs. Granted two less games/regulation ties, but the 82-83 Islanders miss these playoffs, and the 79-80 Islanders are so far out of contention they never trade for Goring or go on a huge winning streak which got them to a ninety one point playoff spot.
The days of sixteen of twenty one teams qualifying for the playoffs are long gone. In this conference half the teams will not qualify at all, and if this team continues it's five hundred stretch the final two months of last season it's likely not returning to the playoffs unless it has an Ottawa 19-1-1 streak in them.
Whoever qualifies for the playoffs has to be a very good hockey team or it's not going to happen, and it's likely going to have less shoot out wins which was usually a positive.
New York's schedule in the second half is horrendous again with little rest.
Bottom line as I have written most years the 2015-16 New York Islanders can finish 1st or 30th.
The rest is just a lot of useless words.
