The New York Islanders have had a disappointing season, with the team losing 10 of their final 14 games and seven of their remaining eight, while their coach was fired. The team had been in a playoff spot for 105 days before losing and was unable to maintain momentum. Despite this, the team remains optimistic about the future of the team, with an 18-year-old superstar in Matthew Schaefer and a promising prospect pipeline. Despite acknowledging the team's failure to make the playoffs, general manager, Darren Darche defended the trades, arguing that the acquisition of Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat and a first-round pick to get Brayden Schenn were not due to the team’s overperformance of their underlying defensive metrics. The Islanders also have limited flexibility this offseason, with $9-10 million in salary cap space and potential for change given Anders Lee's expiring contract.