The New York Islanders are one of the better teams in the Metropolitan Division. At the time of writing, they sit at the top of the division by a single point. This is the division that holds the last three Stanley Cup winners and three of the past four President Trophy winners.
This isn’t a weak division. And yet the New York Islanders sit at the top. A team that was widely regarded as a team that would slip down the standings after losing a top line center and bringing in bottom tier players.
It didn’t look good going into the season.