Islanders still stuck in limbo as trade deadline nears

All that, and the Islanders are right where they’ve always been. 

There was supposed to be some clarity by now on what this team is, and thus which direction it should go at the trade deadline in a month. 

Instead, after 55 games, what the Islanders are is a team whose record is overwhelmingly similar to the last two years and whose roster is so decimated by injuries that no one can tell whether that is representative or exactly what the best version of the lineup looks like. 

So, as they hit the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Islanders’ season could go any which way, but it sure feels like a familiar playbook. 

The bottom line: At 25-23-7, the Islanders are four points off the playoff cut line.

They have pulled their season back from the brink, and unless things trend back toward the wrong direction, it’s tough to see Lou Lamoriello doing what so many would classify as the smart, prudent move by selling off parts at the trade deadline.