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Good Morning, Islanders Country.
There are seasons to forget and forgetful seasons.
They’re not the same.
A season to forget is a season that hurts. They’re defined by turmoil, heartbreak, or embarrassment — the kind of years that fans actively try to scrub from their memory, even as the details linger painfully.
Forgetful seasons are years that barely register. Maybe the team finishes sixth in the division and misses the playoffs by a mile, and nobody really notices or cares. No major scandals and no pivotal turning points — just 82 games of meh.
I’m not sure which category this one falls into.
This wasn’t a late-season collapse (though they did lose six in a row); there’s been no front office or coaching controversy (though some think there should be).
It could be remembered for Lou Lamoriello reluctantly trading Brock Nelson or Mathew Barzal’s unfortunate injuries. Mike Reilly’s return from heart surgery was motivating, and Anthony Duclair’s decision to step away from the team was puzzling, but neither defined the year.
The most memorable moment will forever be when Alexander Ovechkin broke the NHL goal-scoring record against the Islanders at UBS Arena. That won’t sit well with some of the fanbase, while others are buying commemorative tickets.
What I’m saying is that this season could easily drift out of memory because nothing happened. It didn’t sting, it didn’t inspire—it just... was.
For it to be remembered, it will be because it was the end of something, but we won’t know that until the days, weeks, and months after the season. Was this year the moment one era of Islanders hockey ended and another began, or will it just be a continuation of what we’ve been watching, only with a tinge of change?
That’s what we wait to find out and may determine what this season will forever be known for - or not.
