1. New York Islanders
The more I think about the 2017-18 New York Islanders, the more fascinated I become. How do you waste such an outstanding offense? You have to go back in the 1980s to find defenses terrible enough to waste such a high-scoring offense. The Islanders were playing so well early on. And then, something happened. Their defense started breaking down and their goaltending wasn’t good enough to overcome it.
In December, defenseman Calvin de Haan got injured. He was an underrated cog of their blue line, serving as an old school stay-at-home defenseman. He might not be anything special with the puck, but de Haan was someone the Islanders could rely on to play solid in the defensive zone. It’s not a coincidence things started going south once he got injured.
Entering this season, the Islanders were determined to convince captain John Tavares to stick around. While it’s still more likely than not he stays, it’s getting dangerously close to a coin flip. The Islanders are no better off than they were a year ago. In fact, they are worse off. That’s not a good sign for Tavares, who wants to win a Stanley Cup.
Next: Each NHL Team's Biggest 'What If' Moment
The Islanders would probably like to go back in time and try to fix their defensive issues. Maybe even give Mathew Barzal some more playing time. Not alienating Josh Ho-Sang would be a smart idea, as well. The NHL season is full of little decisions. Over time, they add up. The Islanders choose poorly for a majority of those decisions. They’d surely like a second chance to make the right decisions.