The Islanders’ longest ever season – the playoff finale came more than a calendar year after the first of two training camps opened – ended with Thursday night’s 2-1 overtime loss in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Edmonton.
Now comes an offseason of an uncertain length in uncertain times, with a salary cap that will remain flat at $81.5 million and the Islanders, like other NHL teams, possibly setting an internal budget below that.
How president and general manager Lou Lamoriello navigates this offseason will play a large role in whether the Islanders can remain perennial Stanley Cup contenders.