Head Coach Pete DeBoer reveals his ‘non-negotiables’ for the NY Islanders

Pete DeBoer is establishing the expectations for his first full season as coach of the New York Islanders, and some of them are not open for discussion.

DeBoer outlined several of his "non-negotiables" Thursday following another training camp practice, pointing to team toughness, supporting teammates and shift length as areas where he expects consistency.

"We want to be hard to play against," DeBoer said. "Sticking together out there, and sticking up for each other as a group, is a non-negotiable."

DeBoer also emphasized the importance of keeping shifts short as the Islanders continue learning the faster, pressure-oriented style he wants them to play.

"Shift length for me is a non-negotiable because it feeds into how we want to play," DeBoer said. "We want to be able to play fast. We want to pressure the puck. You can't do that if you're taking long, extended, lazy shifts."

DeBoer has spent training camp installing his system after having little opportunity to make significant changes when he took over late last season.

His emphasis has included defensive structure and protecting the middle of the ice, but Thursday's comments provided more detail about the standards he expects regardless of systems or personnel.

DeBoer said there are additional non-negotiables, including some related specifically to the Islanders' system, but declined to discuss those publicly.

"I think there's a handful of others," DeBoer said. "There are some systematic ones I don't want to get into here."

The Islanders are still determining their roster and line combinations with the regular season approaching, but DeBoer's expectations are becoming clearer.

Personnel and roles can change. His basic standards will not.

The Islanders are expected to play fast, pressure the puck and support one another.

And if they are going to accomplish that, DeBoer doesn't want players staying on the ice too long.

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