In this week's Eastern Edge, we'll continue our review of the 'Core Four' for every team in the East. Check out part one over here and part two over here.

As we work through the Eastern Conference, Grant Campbell is working through the West. Make sure to check out his coverage here. As Grant established, 'The Core Four' are players who should be the foundation for their team to build on over the next three to five years.

New York Islanders

Mathew Barzal – On contract for the next eight seasons, Barzal headlines this iteration of the Islanders. He has the highest cap hit on the roster, reflecting his status as the team's most offensively gifted player. Since entering the league on a full-time basis in 2017-2018, he's never fallen below a 60-point pace.

Bo Horvat – Horvat's debut with the Islanders didn't exactly go according to plan. Before he was traded to New York, Horvat racked up 31 goals in 49 games with Vancouver (1.10 points/game). In 30 appearances with the Islanders, he tallied just seven goals (0.53 points/game). It's worth noting that due to injury, Barzal was only present for seven of those 30 games. A full season beside Barzal could help Horvat find the scoresheet more often this season. On contract for the next eight years, Horvat is an undeniable piece of the team's current core.

Ilya Sorokin – Since his debut in the 2020-2021 season, Sorokin has established himself as one of the league's top netminders. The past three years have seen him post an impressive 2.34 GAA and .924 save percentage over 136 games. Across the league, only Linus Ullmark has better numbers during that span. Sorokin solidified himself as a core piece in New York when he signed an extension with the Islanders in July, keeping him on contract with the organization for the next nine years.

Noah Dobson – While the first three members of New York's core are easily identified, the final piece is slightly harder to pinpoint. Signed for the next seven years, Pierre Engvall has the contract term to be considered part of the core, but he hasn't yet had much of an impact at the NHL level. Brock Nelson has had a huge impact in recent years, but given his strong play, he may be too expensive for the Islanders to re-sign when his contract expires in two years. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock are also signed long term, but their speciality is defending, which isn't valued as much as offense is in fantasy leagues. While a typical 'core four' list may not consider fantasy value, that's the lens we view the game through here at Dobber Hockey, so I thought it was worth prioritizing. As a result, I picked Dobson for this final slot because he's the Islanders' top offensive defenseman. The 23-year-old blueliner has posted back-to-back 50-point seasons. His contract is up in two years, but he'll be a restricted free agent, so he should be a part of the team for the foreseeable future.

New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad – Signed until the end of the 2029-2030 campaign, no one on New York's roster has more term left on their contract than Zibanejad. He's earned that stability as his total production over the past five years works out to a point-per-game rate. Still just 30 years old, Zibanejad should continue being a top player for the next three to five years.

Adam Fox – Fox has been the most important piece of the Rangers' blueline in recent seasons and that'll likely be the case going forward, seeing as he's on contract for six more years. He's deservedly the team's highest paid blueliner, having scored at or above a 70-point pace in each of the last three seasons. During that timeframe, Cale Makar is the only defenseman in the league with more points than Fox.

Artemi Panarin – As the Rangers' highest-paid player, Panarin headlines a star-studded roster in New York. Since joining the Rangers in 2019-2020, he's accumulated 341 points in 268 appearances. Across the league, only three players have more points than Panarin during that span: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon. The team may not be able to afford re-signing him when this contract expires, but he should be a prominent piece of the roster for the three years left on his deal.

Igor Shesterkin – Since entering the league in 2019-2020, Shesterkin has been one of the game's top goalies. Through 158 appearances, he sports a 2.37 GAA and .924 save percentage – only Ilya Sorokin's numbers have been better during that span. Although he only has two years left on his current deal, he's too talented for the team to let him walk away. New York's one of the best places to play, and at 27, Shesterkin fits the age range of the Rangers' core. It's possible he wants more money than the team can afford when it comes time to re-sign him, but I'd bet on him sticking around for at least a few more years after his current contract ends.

Ottawa Senators

Tim Stutzle – After he was drafted third overall in 2020, Stutzle had a promising rookie campaign, scoring at a 45-point pace. He built on that in year two, pacing for 60 points. Year three is when he really took off, posting 90 points in 78 appearances. The 21-year-old forward is on track to be one of the game's brightest young stars. Ottawa recognized his potential just before last season's breakout, signing him to an eight-year extension in September of 2022.

Brady Tkachuk – Making significant contributions to a wide variety of categories, Tkachuk is arguably the most versatile fantasy hockey asset right now. Last season, he scored at a point-per game pace, but also sat near the top of the league in another stats, racking up three hits and four shots per game. In addition, he provided strong power-play production, as well as a decent number of face off wins despite being considered a winger in many fantasy formats. Captain of the team and on contract for the next five years, Tkachuk is undoubtedly a core piece of Ottawa's roster going forward.

Josh Norris – Since a shoulder injury limited him to just eight games last year, it's easy to forget that Norris broke out with a 68-point pace during the 21-22 campaign. On the heels of that impressive performance, the Sens rewarded Norris with an eight-year extension, ensuring he remains a part of the core for the foreseeable future. 

Thomas Chabot – Over the past five seasons, Drew Doughty is the only player who's averaged more ice time per game than Chabot. Signed for the next five years, none of Chabot's fellow defenseman in Ottawa have more term left on their deals. Although he should be a prominent piece for the next few years, Chabot could be rendered obsolete by young talent like Jake Sanderson and Jacob Bernard-Docker after his current deal expires.

Philadelphia Flyers

Although the Flyers have a few established players that could be considered part of the team's current core, the organization's rebuilding status makes it hard to say that such players will be on the roster long term. For example, although Sean Couturier is on contract until the end of the 2029-2030 campaign, he's 30 years old and working his way back from a couple of major back surgeries. Travis Konecny is worth keeping because of the offense he provides, but at 26 years of age, he may be slightly too old for the current rebuild. With two years left on his deal, the team may prefer to sell high on Konecny and recover more assets for the future. On contract for five more years, Joel Farabee could be a part of the Flyers' core, but he's been outperformed by other forwards in recent seasons. Overall, I think Philly's list was more subjective than other teams, so feel free to share your own picks in the comments section!

Cutter Gauthier – Drafted fifth overall in 2022, the 19-year-old forward still hasn't played a game in the NHL. He's returning to Boston College for the 2023-2024 campaign, which, based on my understanding, means his pro debut probably won't happen before March/April of 2024. Despite his lack of NHL experience, he's on this list because a recent report from Frank Seravalli identified Gauthier as the only player Philadelphia wouldn't consider trading during their rebuild. 

Cam York – Seeing as the Flyers recently parted ways with Tony DeAngelo and Ivan Provorov, it seems likely that York will step into a bigger role this season – particularly on the power play. Still just 22 years of age, York has plenty of time to reach the potential many saw in him when he was taken 14^th overall during the 2019 draft. His youth and potential suggest he'll remain with the organization through this rebuild.

Owen Tippett – Althoughsome time has passed since Tippett went tenth overall in 2017, last season marked the first time he was given a high volume of opportunity. He posted 16 points in his final 20 appearances of the campaign, averaging over 20 minutes a night. At 24 years of age, Tippett should still be in his prime when the Flyers start to contend in the next few years.

Carter Hart – At 24, Hart is young enough to be a part of Philadelphia's current rebuild. When he first entered the NHL, he was considered to be one of the league's next great netminders. That belief was reinforced with two seasons of strong play early on, including a heroic showing in the playoff bubble that saw him post a 2.23 GAA and .926 save percentage over 14 games.  However, given his lacklustre numbers in recent years, Hart's stock has dipped and he's no longer untouchable. Although his name has come up in trade rumours recently, I personally think he figures things out with the Flyers. Goalies typically take a little more time to reach their prime, and the Flyers can afford to be patient because they aren't expected to content any time soon.