The New York Islanders go into their first full season with Peter DeBoer hoping the veteran coach is enough to get them into the playoffs
New York Islanders
ELMONT, N.Y. (AP) — Last season: 43-34-5, missed playoffs
COACH: Peter DeBoer (1-3-0 after getting hired with four games left, 663-450-152 with six teams overall).
SEASON OPENER: Sept. 30 at Toronto.
DEPARTURES: F Anders Lee, F Marc Gatcomb, F Maxim Shabanov, D Carson Soucy, assistant coach Ray Bennett.
ADDITIONS: G Vitek Vanecek, F Matias Maccelli, assistant coach Rocky Thompson.
GOALIES: Ilya Sorokin (29-24-2, 2.68 goals-against average, .906 save percentage), Vanecek (5-13-3, 2.93, .883 with Utah), Semyon Varlamov (3-4-3, 2.89, .889 in 2024-25).
What to expect
Firing Patrick Roy and hiring DeBoer in April was as much about the future as it was a last-ditch effort to try to save last season. DeBoer gets to put his stamp on the Islanders, who look on paper like they're in the middle of the pack in the Metropolitan Division and the Eastern Conference. Sorokin is elite enough to keep the team in games he starts, and Varlamov's return from double partial knee replacement surgery might allow for a more even split of responsibilities in net.
If enough goes right, New York should be right in the mix for a playoff spot. Mathew Barzal's injury keeping him off the ice for multiple weeks is not a good start.
Strengths and weaknesses
The good: The Islanders are better at keeping the puck out than putting it in. They ranked sixth in the NHL in goals against and 10th on the penalty kill last season. DeBoer based on sheer experience alone is an upgrade behind the bench. The blue line, led by reigning rookie of the year Matthew Schaefer, is solid. So are the forwards, even if not jump-off-the-page spectacular.
The not so good: The Islanders were 25th in scoring and 30th on the power play. Barzal's injury has the potential to change the entire complexion of the lineup
Players to watch
Schaefer is worth the price of admission, already one of the best defensemen in the league at age 19. He will get tougher matchups now that opponents know what he can do, though DeBoer — not coaching for his job — should also not need to lean so heavily on Schaefer to play 24-plus minutes a game. Victor Eklund, taken 16th in the same draft Schaefer was the No. 1 pick, is the next to arrive in a wave of prospects who could be part of the Islanders developing into a perennial contender.
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