The New York Islanders failed to make the playoffs in a season that saw the team ravaged by injuries and frustrated by its failure to score enough goals. The Islanders missed more than 400 man-games to injury and finished last in the NHL with 189 goals scored in 82 games. Despite these difficulties, the season did provide hope for the franchise as several young players stepped forward when given the opportunity and showed they had the potential to develop into solid NHL players.

The goal scoring drought was caused by a combination of injuries, inexperience and a lack of players with pure offensive ability. After last season, the Isles lost Ryan Smyth (36 goals), Jason Blake (40), Viktor Kozlov (25), Alexei Yashin (18 goals in only 58 games) and top scoring defenseman, Tom Poti. When Smyth turned down the Islanders free agent offer and signed with Colorado, GM Garth Snow went out and signed players who the Isles were hoping would step up and prosper in new roles. Mike Comrie, for example, was a second line center with Ottawa last year and was hoping to step up to being a first line pivot. Ruslan Fedotenko and Jon Sim were also in similar situations, players hoping to thrive when given an expanded role.

Unfortunately for the Islanders, the result was mixed at best. Comrie led the team with 49 points but was inconsistent. At the end of the season, he revealed that he played at least two months with an injured hip which hampered his ability to skate into high traffic areas and get the puck, something he really needed to do to be effective. The Islanders finally shut Comrie down late in the season.

The Isles were also hoping for a big campaign from Miro Satan who was entering the final year of his contract. Instead, Satan slumped early and then sustained a painful knee injury that prevented him from being effective. Satan played with pain for the second half of the season, but he wasn't very productive, scoring only 16 goals after tallying 27 a year ago and 35 in 2005-06. It remains to be seen if the Islanders will make Satan an offer to return next year.

Injuries derailed a lot of other potential scorers. Jonathan Sim was knocked out in the second game of the season and never returned to action. Shawn Bates played in only two games as well while second line center Mike Sillinger's season ended after only 52 contests. Other players just had below average years. Trent Hunter scored only 12 goals, Fedotenko managed just 16. Josef Vasicek also scored 16 goals but had eight in the team's first 17 games and then only eight more in the final 64.

There were some veterans who played well, though. Bill Guerin was signed to be the captain and provided excellent locker room leadership. He led the team with 23 goals and was second on the club with 44 points.

Richard Park provided versatility and leadership. He started the season on the fourth line but spent time on all four units in addition to the power play. He was also one of the team's best penalty killers and served as a mentor to some of the younger players, most notably Kyle Okposo.

The rash of injuries gave young players opportunities, and some of them stepped up and showed that they had the potential to be part of the Islanders' future. Blake Comeau came up mid-season and finished with eight goals and 15 points in 51 games. He impressed coach Ted Nolan by showing great hockey sense and at 22, his best hockey is ahead of him.

Sean Bergenheim also showed increased maturity as the season progressed. He was always one of the team's top hitters (along with Hunter) and went out on the ice at top speed to throw his body around. By the last 20 games, Bergenheim started to play smart in addition to all out and his scoring chances increased. People forget that Bergenheim had only played 46 NHL games prior to this season. At 24, he should have a productive career as a third or possibly even second line player if his goal scoring picks up.

Perhaps the most anticipated rookie forward on the club was Kyle Okposo who signed a contract in December after leaving the University of Minnesota. The Islanders called up their top prospect for the final nine games of the season and he showed why he was so highly regarded with flashes of skills that few players on the team possessed. In his brief stint with the Isles, the 19-year-old had two goals and five points and left fans hungry to see more next season.

While the forwards were hurt by injuries, the defensive corps was compromised even more by medical problems. By the end of the season, Radek Martinek was the only blueliner left in the lineup who was dressed for opening day. Martinek stepped up and played well in a difficult situation. Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais, Brendan Witt and Andy Sutton were all sidelined. Witt and Sutton provided leadership and a physical presence when healthy. Bryan Berard was inconsistent on the power play but improved his defensive play as the season progressed. Freddy Meyer was a pleasant surprise. He was waived early in the season and claimed by Phoenix who later sent him to the minors. The Isles reclaimed him off waivers a month later and when injuries hit, he proved to be the most consistent defensemen in the lineup. The Isles signed Jack Hillen for the final two regular season games out of Colorado College. Hillen played with confidence and showed he knows how to handle the puck. He may need some minor league seasoning, but Hillen was impressive and showed he has the skills needed to become an NHL defenseman.

In net, Rick DiPietro was playing at a very high level until injuring his hip at the Skills Competition of the All-Star Game. DiPietro tried to tough it out but his play declined after the injury and with it, the Islanders' playoff chances. Rick remains the key to the Islanders' future. He gives the team a chance to win almost every game he starts despite the fact that they struggle to score. He also serves as the face of the franchise on and off the ice.

The Islanders have to be concerned about his health, though. He had hip surgery for the second consecutive year (one on each hip). Although he is expected to be healthy and ready to go in time for the opening of training camp in September, DiPietro's inability to finish a season has to make the Isles a bit wary with 13 seasons left on his record-setting contract. When healthy, DiPietro is a top notch goalie with the chance to become an elite one.

Backup Wade Dubielewicz played well this season, especially after Christmas. "Dubie" rarely got a chance to play early on since DiPietro prefers playing nearly every game, but when called upon, he was usually ready. Once he got a chance to play more often, he shined. Dubielewicz may not be back next season, however, since third stringer Joey MacDonald has a one-way contract next year that will probably keep him on Long Island. Dubielewicz is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and may have to look elsewhere to remain in the NHL next season. He has proven himself a quality NHL backup.

Nolan once again did a good job of getting the most out of his players. By season's end, he was playing a roster that had more AHL talent than NHL talent but he remained vigilant, kept his players accountable and tried to develop the youngsters the best he could. Nolan was named second in a recent Sports Illustrated poll of NHL players when asked what coach they would most like to play for. He remains the Isles best draw for potential free agents and he never lost the locker room despite all of the difficulties and frustrations the team endured this season. Rumors of difficulties between Nolan and DiPietro are overblown and the two should have no problems working together again next season.

Nolan has just one year left on his original three-year contract with the Islanders. In a late-season interview with MSG-Plus' Howie Rose, team owner Charles Wang called contract negotiations with Nolan on an extension "an internal matter," hardly a ringing endorsement. Still, Wang respects and likes Nolan. If the Isles fail to show significant progress next season, it is unlikely Nolan will be back beyond 2008-09. Despite the mediocre record this season, Nolan again showed himself to be a fine NHL coach under difficult circumstances.

The Islanders have the fifth overall pick in this year's entry draft which is considered one of the deepest in recent seasons. Still, unlike the NFL or NBA, it is very rare for draft picks to make an immediate impact in the NHL. The draft is deepest in defensemen although the Isles have a greater need at forward right now. Regardless of who they pick, it is unlikely they will be with the big club for at least two or three years.

On the free agent front, both Vasicek and Fedotenko signed one-year deals last season and could leave this summer. Satan is likely to be playing elsewhere next season unless he receives no significant offers from other teams and the Isles and his agent can agree on his value.

On the free agent front, GM Garth Snow needs to acquire at least two bona fide 30 goal scorers for next season and a potential playmaker as well. The Islanders need an offensive jump start to be truly competitive. There is cap room available, but it remains to be seen how much of it Snow will be able to spend. A trade is also a possibility but one way or the other, the club needs more offense if it is going to reach the next level.

The 2007-08 season was a frustrating one for the New York Islanders. Still, some young players showed potential and the future could be very bright for this franchise if they could stay relatively healthy and add a few key offensive components before the start of the new season.