At the Olympic Break, Islanders find themselves in the thick of playoff race

The Islanders get a chance to rest and heal up for the grueling upcoming NHL post-Olympic schedule

The New York Islanders are one week into the 20-day NHL shutdown for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, where only two of their players are competing. Bo Horvat is representing Team Canada, while Ondrej Palat is competing with Team Czechia in the Men's Hockey Tournament. The newly acquired Palat will once again be playing against his Islander teammate as Team Canada faces off in their opener against Team Czechia today in Milan, Italy. With only two if their player participating in the Olympics, the 2o days off for the break will the rest of the team time to relax, refresh and heal for the brutal end of season schedule. The Isles will play 24 games in the final 48 days of the regular season with 16 of those against Eastern Conference opponents, six of which are within the Metropolitan Division. This may be the toughest stretch of games this team has played in its' entire 54 year history, but the break is hopefully giving the players plenty of time to prepare for the gauntlet of remaining games.

Islanders lack of "Superstars" may be a blessing in disguise for Isles as they push for a playoff spot

Every team wants to have the best of the best competing for them, but this season, the New York Islanders and their fans may be glad that the Olympic committees of the 12 competing nations chose to bypass most of the Isles on their roster. With only two Islanders at the Winter Games, having that time to recoup and spend time away from the rink may be what is necessary for the Isles to get out of the first round of the Stanley Cup and beyond. Obviously, NY Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin is one of the most elite player at his position. With Russia unable to participate in the Olympics this year, the Isles most important player gets the opportunity to heal from any minor issues, since he most likely will carry the workload the remainder of the way. Players like Matt Barzal, Matthew Schaefer and Emil Heineman may feel snubbed not to have made their country's Olympic team, but a run towards the Stanley Cup may alleviate some of that disappointment.

The Islanders biggest roster question has to be what to do with Jonathan Druin

So, what exactly are the NY Islanders to do about their struggling LW Jonathan Druin? It seems to Isles fans that the last time Druin scored, he was wearing a Colorado Avalanche jersey in the 2024-25 season. Druin has been a scoring disappointment so far this season, tallying only 3 goals, 17 assists and is a -2 in his 51 games played to date. Druin comes with a $4 million per season AAV, and with his lack production, Isles GM Mathieu Darche may be forced to look to make a deal come trade deadline. With Max Shabanov being the player being rotated in the forward position, adding a scorer will be key to going far in the playoffs.