NEW YORK — Andrew Ladd's first season with the Islanders didn't go according to plan.
Ladd signed a seven-year deal worth $38.5 million during the 2016 free agency period. It was the longest contract the Islanders had awarded a player since defenseman Nick Leddy signed for the same length in 2015. The Islanders invested such a large chunk of their salary cap into the two-time Stanley Cup champion to add that experience to the fold, but an injury plagued season resulted in Ladd finishing with just 31 points — the lowest since 2006-07, his first full season in the NHL.
Now as he is starting to feel at home in New York, Ladd's comfort level is beginning to rise. It's been evident through the Islanders' first quarter of the season.
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"Any time that you’ve had a year and a bit, you get used to your surroundings, coaching staff and teammates," Ladd said. "You're automatically going to be a lot more comfortable with your surroundings and your role."
Ladd missed four games last season due to a back issue, but has since shown little signs that the once-lingering back injury is weighing him down. The 32-year-old has 15 points with the Islanders this season — sixth among New York forwards. He is on pace to easily exceed last year's disappointing point total.
ANDREW LADD TUCKS ONE FROM THE SLOT AND THE ISLES LEAD! pic.twitter.com/i64Nb0iTKb
— NHL Daily 365 (@NHLDaily365) December 2, 2017
"My body feels 100 times better than what it was," he said. "I feel a lot better than I did last year."
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The Maple Ridge, British Columbia, native has found success playing alongside Jordan Eberle and rookie sensation Mathew Barzal. Ladd wasn't initially paired with the duo, but for Islanders head coach Doug Weight's decision to play all three individuals on the team's second line is paying dividends.
The line has been one of the most productive in the NHL. It helps to be a part of the NHL's second-highest scoring team. Ladd, Barzal and Eberle have combined for 65 points this season. And in playing with the two, Ladd doesn't bear the same amount of offensive responsibility that he's had in the past.
Nobody "makes the job any easier" in Ladd's case. Instead, each player simply took naturally to their role.
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"I think you try to complement each other in certain ways," Ladd told Sporting News. "For them, they’re both guys that can control the puck really well. Barzy especially can create a lot of space for himself on his own. So for guys like that, you can almost leave them alone. You don’t have to support them quite as much.
"We’ve been in synch in terms of being quick. We’re quick on the forecheck and quick on pucks. When you do that as a line, you're going to get a lot more pucks back so it seems to have worked well."
Ladd's taken a front-row seat to Barzal's impressive rookie campaign with New York. Barzal is tied with Vancouver's Brock Boeser for the rookie scoring lead with 28 points. The 20-year-old is positioned well to stay in Calder Trophy contention all season. Being on Barzal's wing left Ladd in awe in regards to the potential that the budding forward possesses.
The 15-year NHL veteran made stops in Carolina, Winnipeg and Chicago before arriving in New York. Ladd's been around a large part of the "next generation" of stars to enter the league, but a former Stanley Cup champion and league MVP come to mind when he analyzes Barzal's skillset.
"I was in Chicago with [Jonathan] Toews and [Patrick] Kane at the end of their first year," Ladd said. "They had that confidence with the puck and created space for themselves. I think of just a pure confidence with the puck and patience with the puck and what [Barzal] is able to do individually,"
Ladd won two Stanley Cups playing with Toews and Kane, but could soon add another as his conformability and chemistry with his teammates continues a forward trend. It was the key to his success the entire time.