The Islanders were a true upstart and underdog story last season in the NHL, rolling to a surprise second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division and a first-round sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

That dream run ended when the Carolina Hurricanes returned the sweep favor in the second round, but Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello says a major key to continue the franchise's recent successes was the approval of the organization's new Belmont arena. 

"You know how big it is. Without a new arena, there would not be the Islanders on Long Island. I think that says it all," Lamoriello told Newsday.

Former Islanders goalie Robin Lehner was awarded the 2018-19 Masterton Trophy, given annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.

On Saturday, he shared a photo of the trophy on his Twitter account, with one glaring error.

You had one job...🤔 pic.twitter.com/fmzYQWKuFf

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Disappointing seasons from the Rangers and Devils prompted impressive offseason work from both organizations. It certainly helped that both teams had the top two picks in the NHL Draft -- selections that netted potentially franchise-altering talents in Kappo Kakko and Jack Hughes, respectively.

While they didn't have a high draft pick or significant free agent signing, the Islanders made a handful of moves, mainly in the form of re-signings. For the most part, their roster enters 2019-20 relatively unchanged.

Taking all of this into consideration, here's a closer look at the biggest moves each organization made...

On the heels of the Islanders' winningest season since 1984, the expectation was that the team would try its hardest to keep Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner around.

Once free agency started though, Lehner might as well have been voted off the Island.

According to Lehner, he was given an "ultimatum" from the Islanders, and they moved on without hearing his decision.

The Islanders lost out on goalie Robin Lehner but replaced him with Semyon Varlamov.

After Lehner agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie, the Islanders announced they agreed to a four-year deal with Varlamov.

Varlamov, 31, had a 2.87 goals against average and .909 save percentage in 49 games for the Colorado Avalanche last season. His contract will carry an average annual value of $5 million.

The captain is coming back to the Island. 

Anders Lee has reportedly agreed to a seven-year deal with the Islanders worth $7 million per season, reports TSN's Pierre LeBrun. Lee confirmed the deal on his Twitter...

CHECK OUT LEE'S REACTION BELOW

The Islanders lost a productive member of last year's playoff team on the first day of NHL free agency.

Valtteri Filppula, the team's third-line center, has left the Island to return to the Detroit Red Wings.

Filppula signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Red Wings, coming back to the city that drafted him. Filppula played eight years in Detroit and won a Stanley Cup in his first stint with the team.

The top free agent in the NHL market this summer is by far Artemi Panarin, the Blue Jackets' left winger that has been a consistent points machine for four seasons. The Islanders are expected to be very aggressive in trying to land him, but they don't seem to be the favorite at the moment. 

According to The Post's Brett Cyrgalis, the Panthers are the leading candidate to land the 27-year-old. The two main reasons Cyrgalis has the Panthers at the top is the fact that Florida doesn't have any state income taxes, and the Panthers have hired Joel Quenneville as head coach. Quennevile coached Panarin during his first two seasons with the Blackhawks. 

Why does income tax matter? Florida can actually offer Panarin more than the Islanders, or even the Rangers, when it comes down to contracts. Panarin is looking to settle down with a seven-year deal at $11-12 million per season. 

The Islanders have announced their schedule for the 2019-20 season.

Check out the full home schedule below and click here for the full 82-game schedule.

Now that the NHL Draft is over, the Islanders must turn their full attention to avoiding a second consecutive summer defined by the departure of their team captain.

John Tavares infamously bolted for hometown Toronto as an unrestricted free agent last July, and the Isles are moving precariously close to his replacement wearing the "C" - left wing Anders Lee -- hitting the open market. Free agents can begin speaking with other teams beginning Sunday, with the signing period slated to open on July 1. 

"I never thought it would get to this point, but I guess it's the nature of what this week means," Lee told Newsday at a charitable function to raise money for children with cancer on Saturday in New York.

The Islanders selected RW Simon Holmstrom with the 23rd-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.

With the 23rd pick of the 2019 #NHLDraft the #Isles select forward Simon Holmstrom. pic.twitter.com/ayeh1am8mV

- New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 22, 2019

Islanders goalie Robin Lehner is no stranger to long odds. Suggesting at this time a year ago that he would be a Masterton Trophy winner and a Vezina Trophy finalist might have even surprised Lehner, though.

Lehner took home the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy Wednesday night, awarded to the player who best exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game. Earlier this season, he shared his inspiring story about his battle with addiction and bipolar disorder, which resulted in an outpouring of support and admiration from players and fans alike. Lehner responded by leading the Isles to the playoffs with the best season of his career.

Before he collected his award, Lehner spoke about his looming contract situation. He isn't signed for next season, but made it very clear on Tuesday's media day that he desperately wants to be back on the Island.

Islanders head coach Barry Trotz was awarded the 2019 Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL coach who contributed the most to his team's success.

Trotz is the second Islanders head coach to ever win the award, joining Al Arbour in 1978-79.

In his first season with the Islanders, Trotz led the club to a 103-point campaign, their highest point total since the 1983-84 season. The Islanders' fourth-place Eastern Conference ranking was their best finish since the conference was created in 1993. 

Robin Lehner took home some hardware at Tuesday's NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

The Islanders goalie was awarded the 2019 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, given annually to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to ice hockey.

He's the third Islander to win the award, along with former captain Ed Westfall in1976-77 and goalie Mark Fitzpatrick in the 1991-92 season.

NHL DRAFT DETAILS

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Round 1: Friday, June 21 at 8 p.m.; TV: NBCSN
Rounds 2-7: Saturday, June 22 at 1 p.m.; TV: NHL Network

PICKS

No. 23 (First Round)
No. 57 (Second Round, via Calgary)
No. 147 (Fifth Round)
No. 178 (Sixth Round)
No. 209 (Seventh Round)

The Islanders surprised many by re-signing winger Jordan Eberle last week to a five-year, $27.5 million contract. Although Eberle's numbers took a dip last season, he was important during the playoffs and fills an important void as a top-six winger.

Eberle took a slight pay cut to re-sign and has said that he enjoys playing on Long Island. Still, the deal came as a bit of a shocker to some fans, who are still waiting on clarity regarding the futures of captain Anders Lee and Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner.

Don't worry, Isles fans. There is likely still enough money to bring back Lee and Lehner. The team has $22 million in cap space, with only Lee, Lehner, a few depth pieces and restricted free agents Anthony Beauvillier and Michael Dal Colle to sign. There should be enough room to at least sign Lee and Lehner and the RFAs.

Jordan Eberle is sticking with the Islanders. 

The 29-year-old winger, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, agreed to a five-year, $27.5 million contract extension with the Islanders on Friday. The new deal will carry a $5.5 million cap hit. 

The Islanders originally traded for Eberle before the 2017-18 season in a deal that sent Ryan Strome to the Edmonton Oilers. 

Cal Clutterbuck and Andrew Ladd have been through surgery, but they are on different recovery timelines.

After undergoing back surgery, Clutterbuck -- who had two slipped discs, two rotated vertebrae and a stress fracture -- has a good chance to be ready for training camp.

"It's my understanding he will be," Lou Lamoriello told The Athletic. "But honestly it's a process I don't know much about. He's doing well right now. I get updates all the time, he's been here. We just have to trust the process and the doctors. It turned out the way the doctors felt it would."

The Islanders announced on Friday they re-signed impending free agent Tanner Fritz to a two-year contract.

According to multiple reports, Fritz will get $700,000 next season on a one-way deal, but he'll be on a two-way deal for the 2020-21 season. He'll earn $700,000 that season in the NHL, or have a $250,000 salary in the AHL but will get $275,000 guaranteed. 

The 27-year-old forward provides depth up front for the Isles. He was thrust into a pivotal role in March as the third-line center when Valtteri Filppula went down with an elbow injury.

Although no New York-area teams made it to the Stanley Cup Final this year, the Empire State will still have a large impact on hockey's grandest stage. Twelve players from the Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues have connections with the New York metro area in some way, so local fans still have plenty of reasons to tune in.

Boston Bruins

The Bruins have one of the largest collections of American-born hockey players of any team in the NHL. Not surprisingly, several of them have called New York home for at least part of their careers.

The Islanders announced they re-signed forward Brock Nelson to a six-year deal on Thursday.

The 27-year-old Nelson ranked third on the team with 53 points this season, scoring 25 goals and tallying 28 assists in 82 games.

With about a month-and-a-half remaining until the start of free agency on July 1, and just more than five weeks until the interview period, there's nothing certain yet regarding which of the Islanders' pending unrestricted free agents will be back with the team.

Mining for information from a Lou Lamoriello-run team can often be an exercise in futility. So The Athletic's Arthur Staple spoke with several outside sources to try to get a better sense of what may happen with Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, Jordan Eberle, Robin Lehner and Valtteri Filppula.

The Islanders cleaned out their lockers on Monday and officially closed out their 2018-19 season, which saw them reach the second-round of the playoffs only to be swept by the Carolina Hurricanes. 

While the team lost John Tavares to the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer, the Islanders still exceeded expectations behind first-year head coach Barry Trotz and first-year team president Lou Lamoriello. 

Lamoriello and Trotz both addressed the media on Monday on what lies ahead for the franchise. Center Mathew Barzal, captain Anders Lee and goalie Robin Lehner, the latter of whom are free agents, also discussed the future of the team as well as what could be in store for their own futures. 

Islanders winger Cal Clutterbuck had a plethora of back issues that will likely require surgery. 

Per Arthur Staple of The Athletic, Clutterbuck has a stress fracture, two slipped disks and two rotated vertebrae. Brett Cyrgalis of The Post, reported Clutterbuck plans to meet with doctors soon to discuss surgery options. 

The extent of his recovery time could be anywhere between four to six weeks or four to six months and it is hard to imagine it will not be the latter, which would likely mean he would start next season on the IR. 

There will be a sour taste in the Islanders' mouths after being swept by Carolina, one round after sweeping Pittsburgh. This surprising season was indubitably a success given their low expectations, but knowing that the Eastern Conference was wide open and there for the taking will leave the Isles closely examing the hows and whys of their elimination.

It leads into what will be a crucial summer for the Islanders. They've got the coach, they've got the GM and they've gone from having a bleak outlook to legitimate contenders. Now they need to figure out how to take the next step toward winning the Stanley Cup. Here are five big questions the Islanders face entering the offseason.

1. Will Robin Lehner remain with the Islanders?

Barry Trotz couldn't find the right buttons to push as the Islanders were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs Friday evening.

Different line combinations, a goaltender swap early in the second period and the threat of elimination weren't enough as the Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 5-2 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2008-09.

Several teams have won 4-0 and then lost 0-4 in consecutive playoff series. However, the only team to do that in the first two rounds of a postseason since the NHL expanded the first round to best-of-seven in 1986-87 was the Sabres in 1993 when they swept the Bruins and then were swept by the Canadiens (per Elias Sports Bureau.)

Four up, four down. That's how it went for the Islanders in the playoffs as after they swept the Penguins in the first round, they just couldn't make enough plays to pull out a victory against the Hurricanes. The Isles dropped Game 4 Friday night, 5-2, and were swept out of the postseason.  >> Box Score

Six takeaways from Friday's game...

After more than a day of speculation, Robin Lehner keeps the Islander net for Game 4 Friday night, with Thomas Greiss remaining on the bench.

Cal Clutterbuck, who played in Game 3 despite dealing with an apparent leg injury, is out Friday. Michael Dal Colle enters the lineup.

After saying Thursday he was considering wholesale changes to the Islanders' lineup, Barry Trotz wouldn't reveal his plans Friday hours before their do-or-die Game 4 in Raleigh.

Trotz said he wanted to keep the Hurricanes "on their toes" and didn't name a starting goaltender. Robin Lehner has started the Isles' first seven playoff games, but he worked in a timeshare with Thomas Greiss during the season. 

The Islanders could look very different in Game 4.

Barry Trotz is considering a lineup overhaul with the Islanders on the brink, trailing Carolina 3-0 in the second round heading into Friday's do-or-die contest. 

And those changes might even including benching Vezina finalist Robin Lehner. 

"At all positions," Trotz said when asked about where changes could come.

The Islanders might get swept Friday night in Raleigh, but there won't be any brooms in PNC Arena.

In a message to season-ticket holders, the Hurricanes told fans that brooms won't be allowed inside when Carolina hosts Game 4 of the second-round series.

Calvin de Haan played at both Nassau Coliseum and Barclays Center during his five seasons with the Islanders before signing with Carolina last summer. He knows how rowdy the fans can get in Uniondale, and he believes the Islanders playing their second-round home games in Brooklyn helps his current team.

"It's great for us," de Haan said Thursday, according to Newsday. "It's good for the away team. It kind of negates the home-ice advantage to a certain extent. I've played there (the Coliseum) and it's loud and you do feed off of that. Whether you think of it or not, you do feed off the momentum of the crowd and it seemed to elevate everybody on the bench. But it is what it is. That's Mr. Bettman's decision so, whatever."

The New York Islanders left Barclays Center believing the results were not a reflection of their effort through the first two games of the Second Round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

However, on Wednesday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, the Islanders were not the better team and now face a monumental challenge trailing the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-0.

Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and Sebastian Aho recorded a goal and an assist, as the Hurricanes skated to a 5-2 victory in Game 3. Justin Faulk and Justin Williams also found the back of the net while Curtis McElhinney made 28 saves.

The Islanders are in a big hole after the Hurricanes handled them in a 5-2 loss on the road to give themselves a 3-0 lead in this Second Round series. >> Box Score

Five takeaways from Wednesday's game...

1) It was the Hurricanes getting on the board first, as Teuvo Teravainen buried it right next to the goal line. But Devon Toews quickly made it a tie game at one apiece with a power play goal. It was the rookie's first Stanley Cup Playoff goal of his career. 

Islanders coach Barry Trotz said their objective this week is to put wins together, one at a time.

"You can't win two unless you focus on the first, so we'll focus on the first and go from there," he said.

The Hurricanes have already knocked off the defending champion Capitals. Now they're trying to topple the team coached by last year's title-winning coach. >> Read More

Cal Clutterbuck will be a game-time decision for Game 3 in Raleigh, Islanders coach Barry Trotz said Wednesday morning.

The right wing will warm up with the team before the start of the game to determine whether he can go. 

According to the New York Post, Clutterbuck was on the ice Wednesday morning with the extras. Michael Dal Colle, who'd likely replace Clutterbuck if the veteran can't play, was also on the ice.

Maybe this can be considered a guarantee, maybe not.

At the very least, Robin Lehner's comments to the New York Post Tuesday before the Islanders traveled to Raleigh for Game 3 reflect the great amount of confidence the Islanders maintain despite trailing 2-0 in their second-round series against Carolina.

"It's not a big deal. We're just going to go down there and win," Lehner told The Post.

The Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes square off on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Game 3 of the second-round playoff series as New York heads down to Carolina in an 0-2 hole. Mathew Barzal, Josh Bailey and Anders Lee talk about the adversity the team faces in a critical Game 3. 

No time like the present for your first career playoff start -- even if Curtis McElhinney has already spent 11 seasons in the NHL. 

Yet, McElhinney has never began a playoff game between the pipes. That will change during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, with the Islanders trailing Carolina 2-0 in the series. 

If the Islanders want any chance of leveling the series on the road, they'll need to get to McElhinney, who stopped all 17 shots he faced at the end of Game 2 -- a 2-1 Hurricanes victory Sunday at the Barclays Center -- first. 

Barry Trotz did not offer much on Cal Clutterbuck's status for Game 3, but his tight lips could mean that the winger won't suit up for Game 3 of the second-round series against the Hurricanes. 

When reporters inquired about a Clutterback update Monday, the coach responded with a one-word answer: "Nope." 

Given that uncertainty, here are a few options the Isles can turn to in Clutterbuck's absence: 

There was a lot of talk about reality by the Islanders Sunday after Game 2 in Brooklyn. There was Barry Trotz, whose players generally carry the same poise he presents behind the bench, talking about how his team played a fairly complete game.

"That's the cruel reality sometimes is that you play really well and you don't get the result," he said.

Then there was Robin Lehner, the outstanding goaltender who summed up the game in this way: "We're not going to put excuses on hitting posts and bars and stuff, but the reality is I think we were the better team, and they just scored one more than us."

It changed in a matter of moments for the Islanders Sunday afternoon.

The Islanders entered the third period of Game 2 with a one-goal lead, but in the first 65 seconds of the final frame, the game was flipped upside down when the Hurricanes lit the lamp twice and stormed to a 2-1 victory

Warren Foegele wired a wrister from a sharp angle just 17 seconds into the third period, and then former Islander Nino Niederreiter redirected a puck past Robin Lehner 48 seconds later to give the Hurricanes a one-goal advantage they would never relinquish.

"It's pretty simple, we played our game for close to 59 minutes," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "Credit to them for popping two and holding us at the end."

The Islanders allowed two third-period goals and lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on Sunday at Barclays Center in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, falling in a 2-0 series deficit. >> Box score

Five takeaways from Sunday's game

1) Leading 1-0 heading into the third period, Robin Lehner and the Islanders allowed two goals in a 48-second span. Warren Foegele tied it 17 seconds into the period for Carolina, and Nino Niederreiter deflected a shot in front of Lehner into the back of the net to make it 2-1.

2) After outscoring the Penguins 14-7 in a four-game sweep, the Islanders have managed just one goal through the first two games of the conference semis.

The Hurricanes look to continue their nail-biting playoff run Sunday afternoon when they visit the Islanders in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn after a Game 1 overtime victory. 

The latest bit of dramatics by the Hurricanes put their opponents into an unfamiliar position: trailing in a postseason series. The Islanders swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, during which they trailed for just four minutes and 51 seconds.

"Some areas we can clean up, but it was a good hockey game," Islanders right winger Matt Martin said afterward. "We'll regroup. It's a race to four (wins) so we've got to win the next one."

Despite making quick work of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New York Islanders are taking a long-term approach to their second opponent.

Jordan Staal's overtime goal helped the Carolina Hurricanes grab an early series lead, but the Islanders remain focused on the bigger picture and are planting seeds that will be advantageous as the series goes on.

"When we put the puck down low and are hard on their defense, we kind of think of it as an investment," fourth-line forward Matt Martin said after the 1-0 loss in Game 1. "Over the course of the series, you keep wearing them down."

The Islanders were locked in a scoreless duel that stretched into overtime, but they fell to the Hurricanes at home Friday night, 1-0, in Game 1 of the second round. >> Box score

Five Takeaways from Friday's game

1) Jordan Staal scored the game's only goal 4:04 into overtime to give the Hurricanes the win and hand the Isles their first loss of the postseason. Nino Niederreiter had a bank pass off the end boards around the net to Staal, whose shot went off Robin Lehner's left skate as he was trying to close the post and went in.

After leading the Islanders to a surprisingly successful regular season which culminated in a playoff berth, Barry Trotz has been named one of the three finalists for the Jack Adams award, the NHL's coach of the year honor.

Tampa Bay's Jon Cooper and St. Louis' Craig Berube are the other finalists. 

Last year, the Islanders went 35-37-10 and missed the playoffs by 17 points. They then lost their star player and captain John Tavares as he went home to play for the Maple Leafs.

The Islanders have been off since Apr. 16, when they completed a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-1 win. It was just the second postseason series win since 1994 for New York, which advanced to the second round in 2016.

The Islanders held five practices during their long break, but head coach Barry Trotz sensed something different Thursday morning.

"You could tell that there's guys that are turning the switch on a little bit -- not that they've turned it off, they've done a really good job, but I think the urgency is definitely there," said Trotz, who coached the Capitals to the Stanley Cup title last season before joining the Islanders last June. "They're a little more business-like, if you will. They've been business-like right through, but this is just a little different level."

Islanders' Johnny Boychuk sustained a leg injury in their first-round series against the Penguins and has a "slim chance" of playing at all in their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, head coach Barry Trotz said. 

NBC Sports' analyst Patrick Sharp breaks down how the Islanders can overcome the injury and which players he expects to rise to the occasion in Boychuk's absence.