Three Depth Forwards That Can Score 20+ Goals This Year

The New York Islanders are in a bind for depth offensive talent. That statement has been true for the last three seasons, with the team often relying on strong defense and goaltending to win. That’s not a bad strategy, but the Islanders often fell behind and couldn’t return. Or, even worse, they had a lead but failed to come up with a fatal blow, coughing up a whopping 26 third-period leads last season.

One season later, the goaltenders will be the same. The defense will be the same, but perhaps healthier. Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield, and Ryan Pulock all missed chunks of last season, and it severely affected the Islanders. The forwards will be the same, except for the addition of Anthony Duclair, who signed on July 1 and seemingly will play on line one with Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal from the jump.

Duclair, 28, is expected to score at least 20-25 goals. The added goals from a previous 30-goal scorer will be a boon for the Islanders and can take some pressure off everyone else on the roster. Even so, the team only added him, and he did have a major injury less than 24 months ago. The Islanders will still need more than just him.

Behind him, the group doesn’t have a new face. Unless Maxim Tsyplakov emerges and makes the roster out of camp, forcing the Islanders to waive or trade Oliver Wahlstrom. Last season, Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson crossed the 30-goal threshold on line two.

Anders Lee scored 20 goals, something he’s done in 7 of the last 8 seasons. The only season he didn’t, he had 12 goals in 27 games before tearing his ACL and missing the rest of the 2021 season. Over the course of the 56-game season, he was on pace for 24. Lee had the lowest shooting percentage he’s had in five years, all while playing the least amount of ice time he’s had since 2016-17.

Recent History

Aside from those three faces and the top line, the Islanders have only seen two other players score 20 goals in a season during Lou Lamoriello’s tenure as President and General Manager. Zach Parise in 2022-23, and Casey Cizikas in 2018-19, year one under Lamoriello. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored on a 20-goal pace in the 56-game shortened season in 2020-21 and the following season, just missed the 20 mark by two, scoring 18.

Clearly, depth scoring has been an issue. Add in the fact the Islanders finished 22nd in the league in Goals For last season. It’s something that needs to be fixed.

Since we know the roster, barring something sneaky from Lamoriello, let’s evaluate three players who can reasonably hit 20 goals this upcoming season.

Candidate 1: Pierre Engvall

I already know what the comments are going to say about this one. Engvall, 28, is coming off his worst career shooting percentage in the NHL. Normally settling in around 11-12%, Engvall’s shooting tanked this year despite career-highs in ice time, shooting just 7.8%.

He never played more than 14 minutes a night in Toronto but scored consistently on a 15-goal pace in sheltered minutes. With the Islanders, he’s been given an increased role and has created strong chances and the analytics back that up, but his shooting touch failed him this past year.

Take a look at the current depth chart for the Islanders. The only other options to start the year on line two are Lee and Tsyplakov, the latter of which would be a betting favorite to start the year in Bridgeport.

Given that opportunity on line two, where he’s played strong alongside Nelson and Palmieri, Engvall has a path to scoring 20 goals this year. If he performs well, he could even find himself placed onto the second power-play unit, but that feels less likely, with Palmieri, Pageau, Lee, Pulock, and Reilly locked in for the first crack at it.

Candidate 2: Maxim Tsyplakov

This is the optimist version of what Tsyplakov’s season could be. The 25-year-old Russian came off a 31-goal campaign in Russia that left him fielding offers from almost half the NHL.

The Islanders and Lamoriello convinced him to sign on the dotted line, and now the 6’3 power forward with a great scoring touch belongs to the blue and orange. However, Tsyplakov faces an uphill battle to make the roster.

The Islanders currently do not have the cap space for him. After Wahlstrom signed his one-year deal ahead of arbitration, it left the Islanders with exactly $0 in cap space. Lamoriello went on the record at the draft to say Wahlstrom won’t be given away for free. Just this week in a sit down with The Athletic, Lamoriello stated the organization believes Wahlstrom is working extremely hard and doing the right things.

But if Tsyplakov makes it, he’s a lock to start on line two with Nelson and Palmieri. As a result, he could easily score 20 goals with the scoring touch he possesses.

Candidate 3: Oliver Wahlstrom

I know, I know. Wahlstrom? How could he do it?

It’s quite simple, actually. The 24-year-old still controls a lethal shot that can freeze and beat every goaltender in the NHL. The issue this past season stemmed largely from two places, with one affecting the other mightily.

Wahlstrom had no confidence. He played 32 games, but not once did he look like the player who, prior to a season-ending ACL surgery in 2022-23, rode shotgun with Barzal and seemed to be turning a corner. He had seven goals and 16 points, on pace for around 40 points and 16 goals.

The other issue is his skating. Wahlstrom simply hasn’t had the speed he needs, and that’s part of why he didn’t stick with Barzal right up until his ACL tear. He struggled to keep up with the speed, leaving the team and fans alike wanting more. Tearing his ACL didn’t help matters, and it didn’t look like he trusted his legs this season at all.

However, after another summer of skating and working, perhaps he’s built confidence back up. This is the longest shot of long shots, but with his raw ability to shoot and score, if he earns an opportunity and gets his chances, Wahlstrom can easily score 20 goals, especially when he’d earn power play time. Even during his current struggles, the Islanders have consistently given him time on the man advantage, thanks largely to his bomb of a shot, especially the one-timer.

It’s not likely, but there’s a path for Wahlstrom to score 20 goals. Make no mistake. He’s still got the goods when the puck is on his stick in the offensive zone.