Long Island's own sets sights on being NY Islanders biggest training camp surprise

For Marshall Warren, making his NHL debut last season was a dream come true.

Now comes the hard part.

After signing a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders in June, the Long Island native enters training camp aiming to prove he belongs in the NHL full-time.

Warren has already shown he can play at the highest level. The 25-year-old defenseman earned his first NHL call-up last October and wasted little time making an impression, recording two assists in his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers.

It was the kind of moment every kid growing up on Long Island imagines.

"It was a really special year getting to play in the NHL, especially with the Islanders," Warren told NewYorkIslanders.com. "I'm an Islanders fan through and through. Growing up, I was always wearing Islanders jerseys and reading about the players, so it was a full-circle moment."

Warren enjoyed the best offensive season of his professional career with Bridgeport, posting career highs with six goals, 26 assists and 32 points in 56 AHL games. That production, combined with his strong skating ability and puck-moving instincts, has positioned him squarely in the conversation for a larger role this fall.

He's spending the offseason making sure he's ready if that opportunity comes.

Rather than training elsewhere, Warren has remained on Long Island, skating daily at Northwell Health Ice Center alongside many of the Islanders' veteran defensemen. "I've gotten to skate with guys like Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, Scott Mayfield and Tony DeAngelo this summer," Warren said. "It really speaks to the culture we have here."

The Islanders' blue line won't hand anyone a roster spot. Competition figures to be fierce, especially with established veterans, Matthew Schaefer and Isaiah George already in the mix.

But Warren has already accomplished something few hometown kids ever do. Now he's focused on accomplishing something even harder, turning one unforgettable NHL debut into a permanent place on the Islanders' roster

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