Islanders End Of Year:

Well its that time of year again Islanders fans. Time to put the playoffs in the rearview and focus on the road ahead.
It was a tough finish to the season. Having a 1-0 lead in the second intermission of game seven, only to have the parade
be our Islanders one by one to the penalty box in a third period collapse that would give Leafs fans deja-vu. Can I say I'm happy 
with how our team finished that game? Of course not. Can I say I'm happy with how our team played this season? Hell yeah! So let's get to the end of season report cards and see who we think lived up to expectations.

Forwards:
Jordan Eberle: It was a disappointing finish to the season for Jordan. He wasnt able to make much of an impact in the playoffs at all.  With only 1 goal in 12 games, I think it's safe to say we expected our leading scorer to provide more offence when the games mattered most. However he did exceed expectations in the reguar season, leading the team in both goals (35) and points (85), as well as being voted to represent the team in the All Star game. A-

Ryan Johansen: It seems a change of scenery was exactly what RyJo needed. In his first year with the team, Ryan got his scoring touch back notching 73 points with a team leading 51 assists in the regular season along with 4 goals and 8 points in 12 playoff games. He also was a go to guy at the faceoff dot winning over 53% in the regular season and over 55% in the playoffs. It was a gamble bringing in RyJo with his $7.0 million cap hit, but it was well worth it. A-

Paul Stastny: Paul was able to bring the reliability and consistency we wanted in the veteran centre. Another dependable option for faceoffs, winning almost 54% in the regular season, Stastny was also second on the team in both goals (34) and points (74). Dressing for all 82 games he was a player the team and fans knew they could count on. A-

Jaden Schwartz: We were expecting a slightly larger offensive output from Jaden this year. In 75 games played, Schwartz amassed 24 goals and a 0.76 point/game average this season. That said he did bring a physical element with 121 hits and still managed to do so responsibly only taking 3 minor penalties all year. B+

Max Domi: Max had a respectable year with 24 goals and 24 assists while playing much of the year on the third line. B+

Dustin Brown: We brought Dustin in at the deadline to be a physical force and add to our offence in the playoffs, and he did just that. It was a slow start when he joined the team, but we brought Dustin in for playoff time and in 12 playoff games he scored 6 goals, 10 points, and added 17 hits without being handed a single penalty. A-

Corey Perry: Another deadline acquisition brought in for a physical element and scoring touch come playoff time, Perry played second line minutes and was able to get 5 points and 7 hits. Not quite the performance we were expecting from the veteran winger and for that reason I doubt we see the Islanders resign the Peterborough native as he is set to hit free agency in the offseason. C-

Tomas Tatar: Considering we acquired Tomas as a salary dump with draft pick compensation, I must say our expectations weren't overly high for the overpaid winger. Not only did Tomas score a respectable 23 points in 31 regular season games, he led the team in playoff points with 12 and was a big part in the team advancing to the second round. Well worth the addition... for now. B+

Cal Clutterbuck: Cal was added to the team midseason to add physicality to the bottom six and with 110 hits in 55 ames I think he managed to do his job. Only 10 points over that time, it would be nice to see Cal chip in more offensively if he's still with the team next season. C+

Pat Maroon: Playing in the bottom six, we didnt expect much more from Pat other than a physical style of play and some protection should it be necessary. Maroon led the forwards in hits this season with 122 and added 9 goals and 8 assists. Not bad for the 34 year old. B

Ryan Dzingel: We signed Dzingel in the offseason hoping he could add some depth and scoring to the lineup. 10 goals and 29 points for someone playing on the bottom line most of the year was a decent performance especially considering the low 950k cap hit. B-

Eric Staal: Lets be honest, at 37 years old, Staal was brought in to add leadership and be reliable in the faceoff circle. He managed to add 25 points to his career total while winning 52% of his faceoffs in the regular season and almost 62% in the playoffs. Not bad in what was likely the last season for the former Peterborough Pete. C+

Kyle Turris: Turris had a regukar spot in the lineup at the start of the season, but as the team made additions throuhout the season, Kyle got pushed back in the depth chart and eventually found himself bein a healthy scratch for much of the latter half. 12 points in 63 games played, not the best. D

Brett Ritchie: Added in the offseason to be a bottom line winger, Ritchie racked up 13 points in 57 games played. After the team made some forward acquisitions Ritchie found himself as the 14th forward and was a healthy scratch much of the regular season and all of the playoffs. Maybe next year he can find a more permanent spot in the lineup. D