The Islanders, of course, missed the playoffs this season, but that was hardly due to the coaching staff. The Isles dealt with injuries to many key players throughout the year, with
Brock Nelson, Matthew Barzal,
Kyle Palmieri,
Ryan Pulock and
Scott Mayfield all missing significant time. Granted, you have to find ways to win games, but when your GM is out there trading away guys like
Devon Toews and bringing in a 37-year-old Zach Parise and a 44-year-old Zdeno Chara, it's certainly not easy to keep up with the competition, most of whom are getting younger, faster and more skilled by the minute.