When the Islanders hit the ice at UBA Arena for Saturday night’s season opening matchup with the Buffalo Sabres, their top line will have a bit of a different look from last year.
Head coach Lane Lambert is giving Simon Holmstrom an opportunity to show what he can do on the right wing alongside stars Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat to begin the campaign.
“Since the beginning of rookie camp he showed himself well,” Lambert said. “We saw a lot of good things last year and he was really coming into his own. He’s taken a step further than that and he’s been a pretty good fit.”
“Me and Bo like having him on our line,” Barzal added. “He’s got some size to him. When he lays guys on the ice, his puck protection is maybe the best on our team. He’s been up-and-down a little bit, but I’m excited for him to hopefully just be in full-time.”
Holmstrom struggled to find his footing during his rookie campaign, putting up just six goals, three assists and a -4 across an average of 11:05 of ice time in his first 50 games at the NHL level.
After working hard this offseason, though, the 22-year-old looked like a different player alongside his new linemate’s in preseason action. Holmstrom recorded a goal, two assists, and five shot attempts across New York’s four tuneup games.
With that strong showing, he’s now facing some high expectations heading into this season. Though there’s certainly some pressure, Holmstrom’s confidence is at an all-time high playing alongside a pair of All-Stars.
“I’m not trying to think about it too much,” he said. “They’re two unbelievable players. I just want to go out there show what I can do and continue to help them and help this team as much as I can.”
