New York Islanders 'mistake' could turn out to be exactly what they need to succeed in 2026-27

The New York Islanders had a quiet offseason, but that’s because they had a very loud 2026 already. They made the shocking move of firing Patrick Roy near the end of the season and hiring Peter DeBoer. This was in an attempt to salvage their playoff hopes. 

This came after trades for Carson Soucy, Ondrej Palat, and Brayden Schenn. All three of those trades were extremely controversial. Soucy came from the Islanders' rivals across town, and Palat comes with a $6 million cap hit. The former is off the Islanders' roster, and the latter is slated to be on the fourth line. 

Schenn, on the other hand, is expected to be the Islanders’ second-line center. He has a big role for New York this season. With so many veterans still holding big roles in this lineup, there’s an expectation that some will fall off. Schenn cannot be one of them. He’s already taken a step back from his peak when he was scoring 25+ goals every year. 

However, if Schenn can be a 20-goal scorer, he will be crucial for the Islanders this season. This is especially true if he is playing alongside Mat Barzal. The Islanders need Barzal to play well if they want to compete for the playoffs this season. If Barzal isn’t at his best, they just aren’t going to make it. It’s that simple.

Brayden Schenn is a key player in the New York Islanders' push to make the playoffs

If Schenn can unlock Barzal, this team will compete. There are a few ways that can happen. For one, DeBoer has to build as much chemistry between Schenn and Barzal as possible. That includes pairing them on the power play. Schenn is great at faceoffs, which is very important on the PP. 

His shot may have lost some speed and his skating isn’t the best, but he is consistently good at just about everything. He can play well on both ends of the ice, and being consistently above average usually works out in the long run. Getting goals over time count just the same as when they come in bunches as long as the final number is the same. 

Schenn feels like an Islanders-type player. He is still technically in his prime, even if many of his skill sets is falling off. Still, he has a chance to have a great season under the new coach. 

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