Yes! Islanders

First line: Tavares, Okposo, Lee
Second Line: Strome, Nelson, Bailey
Third Line: Nielsen Grabovski, Kulemin
Fourth Line: Martin, Cizikas, Clutterbuck/Grabner

Defensive Pair One: Boychuk, Leddy

Moving forward with the Over/Under series, we will be taking a look at the presumed second pairing of defenseman, Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic. The two played together for a solid portion of the 2014-15 season, and there is reason to believe they will begin opening night on the same pair.

Calvin de Haan : Over/Under 7o Games Played

Over: De Haan has had a reputation for finding himself on the IR since being drafted by the Islanders in 2009, and shoulder injuries once put his future in the NHL in question. However, he has proved he can play, and although he did not have a tremendous 2014-15 campaign, his numbers should improve the more he plays. Despite a minor injury sustained during the postseason series against Washington, de Haan enters the Islanders’ first year in Brooklyn healthy and determined to rebound. And after hiking his games played from 51 in his rookie season to 65, a healthy and poised de Haan is determined to set personal bests across the board, including games played.

Under: Unfortunately, players with a lingering injury are always at risk of getting hurt on a long term basis. He played just four games from 2011-2013 in the AHL due to shoulder injuries, and is one bad hit away from seriously injuring either one of his shoulders again. It’s presumed that a recurrence of any shoulder trauma for de Haan would sideline him for quite a while, and for a player who still has something to prove, time to play is not something he can afford to lose.

Travis Hamonic : Over/Under 40 points

Over: Hamonic set career highs in assists (28) and points (33) in a season, all while dropping more than three minutes in ATOI per night. The 25-year-old is inching closer and closer to an offensive explosion, as he is honing his skills as he continues to age. After having a nearly flawless 2014-15 season, Hamonic should be getting more playing time. And with more time, it is hard to imagine Hamonic, who may see an uptick in time on the Islanders’ power play unit, not getting over 40 points this season.

Under: All is not perfect, as Travis had his season cut short in the penultimate game of the regular season. He tore his MCL, and although he did not need surgery, a torn MCL is a significant injury. Players may have initial difficulty coming back and if Hamonic is struggling early, it will be hard for him to get to the 40 point plateau. Again, it is no guarantee that he won’t return to his caliber of play prior to the injury, but he also may come out of the gate slow (and even struggle moving further into the season).

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