I imagine Cizikas is in next game, and if he isn’t, Koivula will play 4C or 4RW

cizikas is not going to be ready to go , just basing it off of Andrew gross comments.

Even though he has crappy face off numbers, to say Komarov doesn't deserve a roster spot is a bit of a stretch. He's been a solid defensive player and locker room presence for this team (what he was brought over for). Let's also not forget that for the 1st 5 games of the season the Beau-Brassard-Komarov line was our best line each and every night. Komarov deserves a chance to play after his injury/illness before being demoted to a bench player.

We all want Wahlstrom up here playing, but the kid is 19 years old and could use some more seasoning in the AHL. Not saying he didn't look good playing with the big club, but it certainly won't hurt him playing top line minutes with Bridgeport.

If your best center at faceoffs is hurt (cizikas) you do not insert a player who can’t win a faceoff to save his life. That is reckless. For the record, the islanders penalty kill got better once Leo komarov was injured (someone on isles twitter posted the advanced stats and the isles have actually been more aggressive and effective since Leo went down). Also 5 v 5, when Leo komarov is on the ice the team gets peppered with shots, he is not good defensively 5v5 because of his speed and lack of puck control. He is good on the pk but like I said the pk took off once he got injured. You know who else is good in the locker room: lee, bailey, brassard , clutterbuck , boychuk. It’s a really bad excuse to use yet another plug just because of his locker room presence.

This has nothing to do with wahlstrom. If trotz wasn’t going to give him top 6 minutes (even though he deserved it) I wanted him back in Bridgeport. Playing him on the 4th line is horrible for his development.

Ok, but you're nitpicking stats to fit your narrative (again). The entire team is different now than they were the first handful of games this season. Barzal is more aggressive now, than the first 5 games. The offense is more engaged now, than the first 5 games of the season. The defense is jumping up more offensively than the first handful of games. Not to mention that if this illness/injury has kept him out this long, it likely was lingering to start the season. You're basing this entire argument on a handful of games this season when he was hurt/sick. Show me the same numbers from last season when Leo was in and out of the lineup and maybe you'll have a point.

But my point remains the same, Komarov has been a 3rd line player for us since he came here last season, which is EXACTLY what he was brought in to do. He hasn't done anything to justify sitting on the bench upon his return from injury. Now, if those numbers you cited continue and the team begins to struggle upon his return, then you may have a case.

All you are doing is feeding your negative narrative about the team because you don't like the idea that certain players are playing over ones you want to play. I've never seen someone complain about a team that has been playing so well over the last season plus as much as you do and for no good reason. Trotz and Lou are two of the best in the game at what they do. They have turned the Isles from a non playoff team to a legit playoff (and maybe SC) contender literally overnight and with the loss of one of our biggest stars... so maybe, just maybe, they actually know what they are doing when it comes to building a team.

As for the Wahlstrom thing, that was in there because for the injured guys to come back others had to be sent down and the most obvious candidates for that were Wahlstrom (needs to be playing top line minutes and, sorry, he was good in the NHL but did NOT deserve playing top line minutes there) and Bardreau (career AHLer before this season).

Nitpicking stats? Or presenting a logical argument that there is no reason to play komarov at center (when most of his shifts are in the dzone) against a team that has a lethal offense. There is statistically nothing even average about Leo komarovs game 5v5. The only reason Leo Komarov is in the lineup is because he is good on the pk and "locker room presence" . The islanders may be using him in a 3rd line role, but he is not effective in that role so what's the point. I guess we can start calling kuhnhackl a 1st line winger. This season his CF% rel is -9.8, which means 9.8 shots more per 60 minutes at even strength ice time were directed at the islanders net when komarov was on the ice . Once brassard and beauvillier were without Komarov, their Cf% rel increased despite playing against tougher competition. Last season komarovs CF % rel was a -4.7, so same story. He's a liability 5 v5 and that's not a secret. He continuously puts himself in bad spots and gets out of it by A. using his strength to win a puck battle and dump the puck out of the zone giving it back to the other teams defense B. takes a bad penalty C. ices the puck. This has been going on since last season. The islanders a worse team when Leo Komarov is on the ice 5 v 5 (going back to beginning of 18-19 season) and there's nothing you can say to dispute that.

Negative narrative about the team lol buddy take it easy, I just criticized their decision to use someone as center who has proven he can't handle that role. It's not that serious.

You criticize EVERY decision they make just because it's not what YOU think they should do. Yet, every decision Trotz and Lou have made have led the Isles to a 2nd place Metro finish last season and advancing to the 2nd round of the playoffs. This season, they just went on a 10 game win streak and are playing better now than they did during their best stretches last season. Offense is up from last season as well. They are scoring just over 3 goals per game this year compared to just over 2.5 last, while the Defense is performing at pretty much the exact same level as last season, as is the goaltending. Not to mention both the PP and PK appear to better this year as well.

Leo Komarov is the least of this teams issues (the few they have). Having him fill in at center for a few games if need be isn't the end of the world, as the team as shown they can win with him in the lineup (he went on IR a few games into the win streak).

There is literally NO reason to be hating on this team the way you do on here EVERY day and EVERY post. This isn't the Garth Snow era anymore, let it go and enjoy the success of the team for crying out loud.