Cal Clutterbuck and Josh Bailey are returning to the Islanders in a new role

The New York Islanders are beginning a new era with a new general manager in Mathieu Darche and a potential superstar for the foreseeable future in defenseman Matthew Schaeffer. The hope is that the Islanders can make a leap in the Metropolitan Division standings, and make it back to the playoffs after missing out last season.

For Islanders fans, they have even more reason to be hyped for the upcoming season.

The Islanders officially announced the former players Cal Clutterbuck and Josh Bailey are joining the broadcast and programming team, with the goal of providing fans with an "insider's perspective."

Cal Clutterbuck and Josh Bailey are joining Islanders' broadcasting team

As part of this new partnership, both Clutterbuck and Bailey will host an "AltCast" for select, nationaly televised games. Additionally, Clutterbuck will host an official Islanders podcast that will feature "fellow alumni and influencers."

Bailey revealed in an interview with Rachel Luscher of the Islanders' official website that he was inspired to come up with the alternative broadcast after watching the ManningCast, an alternative broadcast for Monday Night Football, featuring Peyton and Eli Manning.

“I said, ‘why don’t we do something like this? It’s such good insight,’” Bailey said. “I’m a pretty casual football fan, I enjoy watching the game, but I don’t understand the ins and outs of each play. Those guys give fans a better experience for the game, so why not do it for hockey?”

Clutterbuck has been with the Islanders organization since 2013 when he was traded by the Minnesota wild. The hard-hitting winger instantly became a fan favorite for the Islanders, and spent the final 11 seasons of his career with the team. In 718 games, Clutterbuck recorded 81 goals, 102 assists, 369 blocked shots, and 2,572 hits.

Bailey, meanwhile, was a member of the Islanders for the entirety of his career, ever since he was selected ninth-overall in the 2008 NHL Draft. Bailey's most notable year came in the 2017-18 season, where he scored 18 goals and dished out 53 assists, which resulted in him reaching his first and only All-Star Game appearance. In 15 seasons, Bailey recorded 184 goals and 396 assists in 1,057 games.

Islanders fans will have a variety of ways to watch the Islanders, and one of them will be to watch the games with Clutterbuck and Bailey providing their analysis.