Getting better isn't linear. Sometimes teams need to take a step back before they can move forward again. Maintain the status quo, keep what we have, and wait for more options to become available. People think too many of our contracts can't be moved and I don't agree. We see similar moves happen all the time around the league. Leddy, Bailey, Boychuk, Komarov, Clutterbuck...they can all be moved if necessary. Heck, we even saw Ladd's name get thrown into the trade mix this year and he's willing to waive in order to get another chance in the NHL. The cap is going to go up again after next season, the Islanders would only need to re-sign Beauvillier, Dal Colle, and Koivula (maybe Sorokin?). That's not going to cost a ton, it moves other bad contracts closer to the end and therefore more easily moved, and the expansion draft will clear someone off the roster to provide more room. Oh, and the cap will go up again after the expansion happens.
Dobson, Bellows, Wahlstrom, Wilde, etc. could all progress as well (they all won't, but some will) providing cheap substitutes for players as we go.