Ondrej Palat, Anthony Duclair providing Islanders with surprise — and necessary — depth

Source: New York Post

Going into the summer, Ondrej Palat and Anthony Duclair felt like representations of what the Islanders did not need: underproducing wingers who had struggled to justify their presence in the lineup, with their cap charges only exacerbating the problem.   Though the season is still at such an early stage that small-sample caveats can apply to every sentence, it’s not a mere pleasant surprise that both players have produced thus far. It’s a necessary condition if the Islanders — still without Mathew Barzal, by the way — are going to find the necessary forward depth to compete for a playoff spot.