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Cal Clutterbuck details where Peter DeBoer will impact the NY Islanders most

ByJiggs Westfall|
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May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer speaks to the media after the game against the Edmonton Oilers in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
May 29, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer speaks to the media after the game against the Edmonton Oilers in game five of the Western Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck believes Peter DeBoer's biggest impact during his first full season behind the bench will come from restoring the team's structure while allowing its top offensive players to continue producing.

Speaking during MSG Network's offseason special, Clutterbuck said DeBoer inherits a roster with talent but expects the veteran coach to tighten the Islanders' overall game after replacing Patrick Roy.

"I think it'll be on the "restructurization" of the Islanders," Clutterbuck said. "Patrick Roy came in and allowed them to play free, especially the top-end players, the Mat Barzals and Bo Horvats of the world."

Clutterbuck doesn't expect that offensive freedom to disappear under DeBoer. Instead, he believes the veteran coach will blend it with the defensive structure that has defined his teams throughout his NHL coaching career.

"Peter DeBoer is going to reinstill a little bit of structure," Clutterbuck said. "He's going to also allow those guys to continue to succeed offensively."

Clutterbuck also pointed to the development of 2025 No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer as another area where DeBoer can make an immediate impact. "Really, in the structure and even teaching a young Matthew Schaefer the ropes as far as how to win," Clutterbuck said.

DeBoer enters his first full season with the Islanders after replacing Roy with four games remaining last season. He brings one of the league's most accomplished résumés, having reached two Stanley Cup Finals and guided six different teams to the conference finals.

Clutterbuck believes that experience should benefit an Islanders team trying to return to the playoffs while integrating a new wave of young talent.

"Anytime you can get a top-three, top-five coach in the National Hockey League, it's a big positive," Clutterbuck said. "The Islanders are in good shape."

For Clutterbuck, DeBoer's value extends beyond X's and O's. He believes the veteran coach's ability to establish structure without sacrificing offensive creativity could be one of the biggest reasons the Islanders take a step forward this season.

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