Worst Season In New York Islanders History? 2025 May Be It

What are the worst seasons in Islanders history? Are the 0-3 Islanders on track to have the worst season ever for the franchise? They have never, in more than 50 years, been 0-4. What are the reasons for this horrible performance, which may be the worst ever? Are there any bright spots in this horrid start? What are some of the worst seasons in Islanders history?

The schedule for them does not get any easier, as the 2024 Stanley Cup participant, the Edmonton Oilers, come to town, and then they play at a strong Ottawa team Saturday afternoon. Is it even possible for the Islanders to still make the playoffs? 

Worst Seasons In Team History

As the Islanders are very likely to start this season 0-5 (that would be a franchise worst), it is reasonable to ask what some of the worst seasons in Islanders history have been. Probably the worst season in franchise history was the first year for the club. They were only 12-60-6 in their first year, but they started that season 1-1. They started the season 0-3 only once, in 2006-7. They made the playoffs that year, so hope is not lost, though it is fading fast.

Why So Bad?

The Islanders are currently 0-3. They have never started a season 0-4. However, they face two tough upcoming games, and could start this season with a franchise worst, 0-5. Why have the Islanders been so bad this year? There are two main reasons.

First, there have been multiple defensive breakdowns. Except for Matthew Schaefer, who has been outstanding, the rest of the Islanders’ defense has been porous. There are many to blame for the troubles, but we should single out one, Alexander Romanov.

Romanov signed an 8-year $50 million contract before the season. He is in the first year of his contract. That contract will be a bargain in the years to come. That said, Romanov has been bad this season. He is a -3 this season and has no points. He has been consistently out of place and is not playing physically. He is probably the worst of a struggling defensive corps, but he is by far not the only one.

He is not the only culprit for the Islanders, who have looked hapless this season. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin is supposed to be the best player on this team. He is supposed to cover up for the Islander’s mistakes. This season, he is 0-3 and has a poor 4.18 goals against average and an .854 save percentage. That is by far the worst of his career. He has faced a league-high percentage of high-danger shots through three games.

Bright Spots

There are two primary bright spots for the Islanders. First, Schaefer, the No. 1 overall draft pick, has been outstanding. Second, the Islanders have some prospects. The team had the worst prospect pool in the National Hockey League just two years ago. Now they have a top 10 prospect ranking. That is good, because the present is quite bad.

Conclusion

The schedule gets easier for the Islanders going forward, but they may start the season a franchise-worst 0-5. Islanders’ General Manager, Matthew Darche, has said the Islanders are “retooling,” not “rebuilding.” That may be the case, but the Islanders must win games against bad opponents. Accruing points at the beginning of the season is as important as accruing points at the end of the season. The Islanders’ poor start has to do with their defense. They must clean that up if they are to succeed this season.