For Pierre Turgeon, Patrick Roy has what it takes to lead the Isles to the playoffs again

Patrick Roy succeeded in his mission last season.

His Islanders performed well following his arrival, so much so that they were able to qualify for the playoffs.

Their presence at the spring tournament was relatively brief, but hey. New Yorkers are encouraged by all this as they look ahead to next season.

The club will have its work cut out for it if it is to have another good season, because in the Eastern Conference, there are plenty of good clubs.

Last season, these were the teams that made the playoffs:

Panthers
Bruins
Leafs
Lightning
Rangers
Hurricanes
Islanders
Capitals

On the other hand, there are other teams who will be knocking on the door in the coming campaign, and here I’m thinking mainly of the New Jersey Devils.

The line-up has really improved in recent months, and if everyone can stay healthy – which wasn’t the case last season – the Devils could do the damage they did in 2022-2023 (52-22-8 record).

The Red Wings will be one to watch, the Senators will want to prove they’re ready to win, the Flyers will be banking on the arrival of Matvei Michkov and the Sabres will be trying to turn the tide after missing the playoffs for a 13th consecutive season in 23-24.

My point here is that it won’t be an easy task for a club like the Islanders, who lack natural talent.

That said, in Pierre Turgeon’s eyes, Patrick Roy has what it takes to take the team to the playoffs again.

Of course, hockey is played on the ice.

Patrick Roy may be a good coach… but he’s not the one who’s going to fill up the net every game.

On the other hand, Roy showed last season that he’s still capable of performing miracles.

Will that be the case next season? After all, on paper, the Islanders don’t have the biggest club in the East… And while Anders Lee believes Roy’s early-season presence will help, there are other guys who will have to step up too.

It remains to be seen.