Sara Civian of Bleacher Report<\/a> recently wrote about some bold predictions for all of the teams in the league. For the Islanders, the prediction was that they would struggle one more year before getting back into the mix.\u00a0<\/p>\n Future is Bright Nov 22, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche speaks with fans at a pre-game event prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n While the Islanders will certainly be hoping to contend this year, this is a team that is also building for the future. New York was a team that narrowly missed the playoffs last season, but they didn\u2019t do a ton to improve this offseason, and it appears like next summer will be the one that they want to really try to make some moves.\u00a0<\/p>\n A lot of veterans are going to be coming off the books for New York, and the team is going to have a young core in place with a lot of cap space. While some of that cap space is going to be going to a Matthew Schaefer<\/a> extension, the team is going to be well-positioned to add talent.\u00a0<\/p>\n Furthermore, with a lot of talented prospects fighting for spots this year on the NHL roster, their development is also an exciting thing for the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n Overall, with the Eastern Conference improving, it might be a bit of an uphill battle for the Islanders to make the playoffs. The team will certainly do their best to compete, but their true potential likely won\u2019t be reached until next season.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"New](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/01m3a20ehm3k6vbh5na4.jpg\" "\\"New")
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