The New York Islanders enter the 2008-09 season with a new coach and an emphasis on youth. In his first year as coach, Scott Gordon's club will feature at least eight players under the age of 25 who will play key roles with the club. In order for the club to be successful this season and make a run at a playoff berth, the Isles need most of these young players to step up and play well at the NHL level and to keep oft-injured goalie, Rick DiPietro, healthy.

Here's a look at the Islanders as they prepare for the upcoming season:

Goalies: Rick DiPietro remains the key to the franchise. DP is in his prime at 27 and in the third season of his 15-year contract. The big question facing the Islanders is will he be healthy this season? DiPietro has had surgery on both hips and his knee over the past two years. He only appeared in one preseason game so he may take some time to get into his groove early. When healthy, DP is one of the better young goalies in the league and keeps the Islanders in most contests. DiPietro is very competitive and wants to play every game. Gordon, himself a former goalie, will have to determine how many games he can use DiPietro without wearing him down physically. Last year's backup, Wade Dubielewicz, has signed with the new Russian league. Joey MacDonald, 28, will serve as the backup. He has played in 17 career NHL games with the Bruins, Red Wings and Islanders in parts of three seasons. MacDonald is a capable backup but if DiPietro goes down for a long time, the Isles are in trouble.

Defense: Veterans Andy Sutton, 33, and Chris Campoli, 24, will start the season on the injured list. Sutton adds physical play on the ice and veteran leadership in the dressing room. Campoli, 24, has some offensive ability but injuries have hampered his development and he hasn't played more than 51 games in the last two seasons.

Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek will be the top pairing on defense. Witt, 33, is big and tough and looked up to by the team's younger players. With Sutton out, Witt's play in his own zone will be even more critical. Martinek is steady in his own end and makes a good clearing pass to start transition.

Free agent signee Mark Streit, will be counted on to revive the Islanders' power play which ranked a paltry 29th in the league a year ago. He is smart with the puck and very effective when he has room to operate. Some scouts question his ability to play a regular shift and view him as a power play specialist. This is Streit's chance to prove he can handle full-time minutes. Early on, Streit will be paired with Jack Hillen, a late-season signing straight from Colorado College. Hillen has plenty of hockey smarts and did not seem intimidated in his two-game audition last season or in the preseason this year. He may be headed back to Bridgeport once Sutton and/or Campoli return, but don't count Hillen out. He has made a favorable impression on Gordon despite his lack of size.

Ex-Ranger Thomas Pock and steady Freddy Myers will be the third pair. Pock has some good offensive ability but has never risen above being a seventh defenseman at the NHL level. Myers was the Isles' most consistent defenseman late last season after starting the year on waivers. He may not be very big or flashy, but he does his job well, gives all out effort and is rarely out of position.

Overall, this is a good group when healthy with a nice mix of older and younger players. If Streit works out as the quarterback of the power play, it gives the Isles a dimension they lacked last season.

Forwards: Youth will be served this year at forward. The fact that Ted Nolan wouldn't give players like Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen more than fourth line minutes last year became one of the major disagreements between Nolan and GM Garth Snow and led to Nolan's departure this summer. Nielsen will center Tambellini and Trent Hunter as the season opens and the Isles are hoping Tambellini finds his scoring touch at the NHL level. Last year, in just 57 games with Bridgeport, Tambellini scored 38 goals. In 31 games with the Islanders, Tambellini managed to score only once. The Isles hope this year's NHL total is closer to 38 than to one. 20 goals or more from Tambellini will be fine. Nielsen and Tambellini were linemates at Bridgeport and have great chemistry. Hunter adds grit and the ability to dig in the corners. He also has adds experience to this line.

Free agent signee, Doug Weight will center the top line between captain Bill Guerin and Jonathan Sim. Guerin and Weight brought out the best in each other in earlier stints together in Edmonton and St. Louis. Both are 37 and both need to prove they still have something left in the tank. Sim was signed as a free agent prior to the 2007-08 season and then was lost for the year after only two games. Sim is finally healthy and adds grit and toughness to the line. All three of these players are capable of 20 goal seasons and the Islanders need major contributions from all three to be successful on offense.

Mike Comrie will center young wingers Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo to open the season. Comrie struggled as a first line center last season although it was later revealed he played the second half of the season hurt. Bergenheim was the Isles' most improved forward in the second half of the year after he learned how to pick his spots on hits and how to use his speed more effectively on offense. He has a style that could fit in very well with Gordon's aggressive forecheck once he gets comfortable in the system. Okposo remains the Isles' top prospect and will see time on the second power play unit. He has good hockey sense and instincts and should become a solid contributor once he gains experience. The Isles have to keep themselves from expecting too much from Okposo, too fast. If he adds 20 goals, the season should be considered a big success.

The fourth line will consist of veteran Richard Park between Blake Comeau and Andy Hilbert. Park was the Isles' "Jack of All Trades" last year, playing on all four lines at various times during the season and getting time on the power play and penalty kill. Park is smart and always gives 100 percent. Comeau was the one younger player Nolan trusted last season, mainly because he plays a smart game. Hilbert does everything well except put the puck in the net.

This year's top draft pick, Josh Bailey made the team and was expected to audition for a full-time spot on the roster. According to NHL rules, Bailey can play up to nine regular season games after which the team would determine if he would be returned to juniors or spend the entire season at the NHL level. Bailey was hurt in practice on Thursday and is not expected to play in the season opener. The team was not commenting on the nature of Bailey's injury but it appears his audition will be delayed.

The Isles inked center Nate Thompson for depth purposes. He played for Gordon in Providence last season so he is familiar with the system. The 24-year-old has four NHL games to his credit and scored 19 goals last season in the AHL.

Veteran center Mike Sillinger is still out after undergoing hip surgery last season. He is a solid third-line center when healthy but may not be back for the first month or two of the season as he continues to rehab the hip.

OUTLOOK: Most experts are picking the Isles near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and expect the team to be in the thick of the chase for the top pick in next year's draft. The Isles have a new coach in Scott Gordon and are learning a new system. They can be competitive this season, but a lot has to happen. They need to have at least six 20-goal scorers (last year, they had only two) and that means unproven players like Tambellini, Okposo, Nielsen and Bergenheim will have to come through. It's not impossible but the Isles are relying on a lot of youngsters. Vets like Guerin and Weight have to show they are still capable of making significant offensive contributions also. Most importantly, the Isles need a healthy Rick DiPietro in goal. The team is built around DP and with him, they can stay in most every game.

If New York is legitimately in the playoff race come March 20th and the young players show signs of growing into legitimate NHL players, this may be considered a successful building season. The Isles should be better than most people think, but a playoff berth is probably a year away on Long Island.