Islanders Could Use More From Once Brilliant Fourth Line

The New York Islanders have seen certain players rise to the occasion to help carry some of the offensive workload with Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair out of the lineup.

But, head coach Patrick Roy has also seen certain players fail to do so.

Related: Islanders Collecting Points To Stay Alive In Wide-Open Wildcard Race Despite Critical Injuries

Although the top-nine forwards are relied on to produce offensively, this season's fourth line was supposed to be more offensive than the fourth lines of years past.

The trio of Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas, and Cal Clutterbuck brought the shutdown style that paved the way for the team's identity for years, but with Clutterbuck not back, Casey Cizikas skating on the third line, and Matt Martin playing sparing minutes, that line's dynamic has changed.

The expectation was that Oliver Wahlstrom and Kyle MacLean could allow for that line to be more offensive, but so far, that has not been the case.

Wahlstrom has the lone goal for the entire fourth line, a backhander in the Islanders' 4-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 7.

Outside of that, offensive production has been slim to none.

A reason for the lack of offense has been a lack of possession, with the Islanders owning a Corsi For % of 30.81 when Wahlstrom and MacLean have been on the ice at 5-on-5 (98:49), per NaturalStatrick.com.

With those two out there, the Islanders have been outshot 57-30, outscored 4-1, and out-chanced 52-15.

Add Martin to that line (32:16 TOI at 5-on-5), and the Islanders own a Corsi For % of 24.53, being outshot 17-7 and outscored 2-1, being out-chanced 17-3.

Martin has only played eight of the 19 games this season, averaging 7:26 TOI. He has never been relied on offensively, and although he's struggled to be the guy he once was, he has 14 hits in those eight games, with five blocks and no penalties, outside of his fight with Vancouver Canucks defenseman Vinny Desharnais.

Wahlstrom, who has only that one goal on the fourth line this season (his one assist came on shift with Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau), has recorded just 13 shots on goal, .87 shots per game, with only 25 total attempts (1.67 TSA/GP).

He's added physicality to his game over the last few years, but it's been absent with just five on the season in an average of 9:39 minutes per game, the lowest ATOI of his six-year NHL career. He has five blocks. 

MacLean, who pulled a Hudson Fasching last season, bringing the energy each shift, got the opportunity to start this season as the fourth-line center after inking a three-year deal this summer.

But MacLean struggled to bring the same gritty game we saw last season and only has two assists on the year.

His face-off metrics are strong, winning 57.9% of his draws, but, like Wahlstrom, he hasn't been able to get the shot off enough, with only 16 attempts in 19 games, with 10 of them getting on goal.

Unlike Wahlstrom, MacLean has laid the body 25 times, with six blocks.

Speaking of Fasching, who has had no points in five games this season, he has been a healthy scratch for the last seven.

In his five games, he failed to get a shot on goal on three attempts with a hit and two blocks. Despite Roy and general manager Lou Lamoriello saying that Martin wouldn't be an everyday player, it's clear that they aren't happy enough with Fasching's game for him to draw in.

They weren't happy enough with Julien Gauthier in his one game or Liam Foudy in his two games.

The Islanders' fourth line needs a revamp if they want it to be more offensively based, and players in Bridgeport are making a case.

Frederik Karlstrom, who signed a one-year, $775,000 deal this summer, has eight goals in 15 games this season. Brian Pinho, who is on an AHL deal, is leading Bridgeport with 10 goals and six assists in 15 games.

Pinho's 10 goals rank third in the AHL.

Then, there are other players, like prospect Matthew Maggio, who, despite going through his own scoring woes this season with just one in 13 games with five assists, has created scoring chances. Alex Jefferies, who is currently banged up, has three goals and six assists in 11 games.

Once the Islanders get healthy, the fourth line is expected to look very, very different. The current third line of Pierre Engvall, Casey Cizikas, and Simon Holmstrom is likely to drop down and become the "fourth line."

But the question for the Islanders, with Duclair (lower body) and Barzal (upper body) yet to skate since going down, how long are will Roy and Co stick with this fourth line configuration?