Islanders fans won’t admit it yet, but this core might have another run in it

The New York Islanders had an offseason for the ages. The club landed Matthew Schaefer with the top overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The Isles also walked away with two more first-rounders poised to be major pieces in the team’s future.

While the Islanders dealt blue liner Noah Dobson, the return included the two first-round picks and forward prospect Emil Heineman. Plus, locking up Alexander Romanov long term and adding Jonathan Drouin adds to an already talented core that includes Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, and a Vezina-caliber netminder, Ilya Sorokin.

In short, Islanders fans have plenty to be excited about in 2025-26. But it seems like it’s most cautious optimism at this point. Yes, the Islanders may have the making of one more magical playoff run.

But fans aren’t quite getting ready to go nuts over this team’s potential. After all, the Islanders are coming off a disappointing season. After Patrick Roy led the Isles to a playoff appearance in 2024, the club fell flat last season.

The Isles missed the playoffs, leading skeptics to call for the team’s dismantling. Fortunately, team ownership decided against a tear down and pinpointed the problem in the front office. The Isles brought in Mathieu Darche in what has been nothing short of a master stroke.

Now, the Islanders are in an enviable position. The team has a restocked prospect pipeline and could take advantage of a weakened Metro Division and get back into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

New York Islanders could be next season’s surprise team

The New York Islanders could be next season’s surprise team. While the Islanders have as talented a club as any in the Eastern Conference, there isn’t much hype going into their playoff chances this upcoming season.

But as is often the case, pundits can get it wrong. The Islanders could surprise the NHL much the same way the Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues did this past season.

Now, does that mean the Islanders are guaranteed to grab a postseason berth?

That depends on how competitive the East is next season. The Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Detroit Red Wings will all be vying for wild card spots. The New York Rangers will be looking to bounce back, as well.

Unless a team like the New Jersey Devils or Washington Capitals regresses significantly, the road ahead will be choppy for the Islanders.

But that doesn’t mean the Islanders don’t have one last hurrah for this core. After this upcoming season, some chances could be on the horizon. Captain Anders Lee and JG Pageau will be free agents.

It would be a wonderful way to send off this iteration of the New York Islanders with a Stanley Cup victory. It might be too much to as for at this point, but there’s no telling what the future holds.