2015-2016 New York Islanders

Islanders goalie Jaroslav Halak likely out Sunday
Saturday, 12.26.2015 / 4:59 PM / News
NHL.com

New York Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak is day-to-day with an upper-body injury, coach Jack Capuano said Saturday.

Halak is 10-6-3 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in 20 games.

The Islanders host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday in their first game out of the holiday break. There was no immediate announcement of who would back up presumed starter Thomas Greiss.

Fantasy top 100 forwards: Tavares on an Island
Tuesday, 12.29.2015 / 12:00 PM / Fantasy Hockey Draft Rankings, Advice and Analysis
By Pete Jensen - NHL.com Fantasy Insider

Every Tuesday during the season, NHL.com fantasy hockey insider Pete Jensen provides in-depth forward analysis. From updated weekly top-100 rankings to trending players and more, Jensen is your go-to guy for fantasy forward advice all season long.

The New York Islanders are 19-12-5 and currently in Stanley Cup Playoff position with the third-most points in the Metropolitan Division. Their goalies, Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss, are each among the League leaders in goals-against average and save percentage. Their point percentage (0.5972) is tied for eighth in the NHL. Their penalty kill (87.3 percent) ranks second in the League.

But they have a growing problem: Their best player has his hands full and isn't producing anywhere near his capability.

As we approach the midway point of the 2015-16 season, John Tavares has been a huge fantasy disappointment considering what was expected of him. John Tavares, drafted fifth on average in Yahoo leagues, had 86 points in 82 games last season, one behind Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars (87) for the NHL scoring title. Since 2011-12, he's tied with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the fifth-most points League-wide.

Tavares has 25 points in 33 games, exactly one half of Patrick Kane's NHL-best total of 50 in 37 games. Forwards like Mikkel Boedker, Lee Stempniak and Kyle Palmieri are currently higher than Tavares on the NHL leaderboard. If it wasn't for Crosby struggling to a similar degree with the Penguins sitting outside of the postseason picture, there would be much more attention paid to Tavares' struggles.

The 25-year-old has points in only two of his past 10 games (one goal, two assists) and the second-most giveaways among forwards this season (35). That stat doesn't tell the whole story, considering Benn, who plays in a high-event, up-tempo system in Dallas, leads the League with 43 and has been arguably the most dynamic offensive player in the NHL. But Tavares' dip in production boils down to his home-road split stats. He's been up to snuff at Barclays Center in Brooklyn with 18 points in as many games. His road splits are much more concerning, with six goals, one assist and a 47.73 road faceoff win percentage (nearly 10 percent worse than his home mark).

Part of the problem is his shot attempts percentage has dipped from 54.92 in 2014-15 to 48.82 in 2015-16, as has the Islanders' rate (49.71, 16th, compared to last season, 52.79, 7th). He's not getting consistent help around him and his team isn't maintaining puck possession. Kyle Okposo, who leads the Islanders in points with 26 in 34 games, has had five multipoint games and three three-point games. All in all, Okposo has at least a point in 18 of his 34 games, putting him outside the top 50 League-wide in most such games. Frans Nielsen, New York's next most reliable forward, has at least a point in only 16 of his 36 games.

In an effort to spark his slumping forward group, Islanders coach Jack Capuano elevated Anders Lee and Josh Bailey to Tavares' wings at practice Monday. Tavares' most frequent linemates this season have been Okposo and Brock Nelson, but Lee, who scored most of his 25 goals last season playing alongside Tavares, gets a much-needed opportunity to latch on with his former linemate; and vice versa for Tavares, who needs a spark. Tavares' power-play production is down (seven power-play points), and New York (18.2 percent; 19th) has struggled to bounce back after not scoring a power-play goal in its first-round playoff series last spring.

Speaking of slumps, Lee has four goals and 15 points this season in 36 games, but does have 80 SOG and net-front savvy, so be mindful of his dual eligibility (C/LW) and low ownership in Yahoo leagues (26 percent). Tavares, meanwhile, is a prime buy-low candidate considering his stock is the lowest it has been since he reached the point-per-game realm. He's currently on pace for 59 points in 79 games, but could still feasibly eclipse 70 if the Islanders address this issue sooner than later via line changes, a trade to acquire a top-flight wing and/or a coaching change.

But fantasy owners can't help but be concerned with yet another shuffle of Tavares' linemates and the Islanders' inability to maximize production of their promising young forwards (i.e. Nelson, Lee, Ryan Strome). Whether Tavares' dip in production is injury-related, systemic or simply a matter of him trying to do too much with limited resources, it has severely impacted his fantasy value. If it's not fixed, it will deter the Islanders in their quest to win their first playoff series since 1993 and contend for the Stanley Cup.