New York Islanders poised to solve scoring issues in 2025-26

The New York Islanders have taken strides this offseason to boost the team’s scoring depth. In particular, the power play was the second-worst in the NHL, potentially costing the Isles crucial points that could have led to a playoff berth.

Fast-forward to July 2025, and the Isles have retooled their forward group to bolster scoring. The most notable acquisition was Jonathan Drouin. The former third-overall pick from 2013 played the last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

In 2023-24, Drouin managed to get his career back on track, scoring 19 goals and 56 points in 79 games. He predominantly played on the Avalanche’s top line with Nathan MacKinnon. That partnership seemed to pay off as Drouin had a solid bounce-back season.

Last year, however, Drouin missed nearly half of the season with injuries. He still managed to score 11 goals and 37 points in 43 games. That’s the sort of scoring the Islanders missed last season.

According to Daily Faceoff, Drouin could slide into the top line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. That’s a solid top line, especially considering the Isles’ need for reliable targets to complement both Horvat and Barzal’s playmaking abilities.

Things get interesting with the Islanders’ second line. Daily Faceoff shows top offensive prospect Calum Ritchie leading the second unit with Anders Lee on his left and Kyle Palmieri on his right. This line would be an interesting arrangement, as having a young center like Ritchie line up with two wily vets could help Ritchie ease into the NHL game.

Ritchie struggled to settle into an NHL role last season with the Avalanche. He was penciled in as the 3C, but couldn’t manage to find his footing. Personally, seeing Ritchie on the second line to start the season could be a bit of a stretch. He’s ready to make the leap to the NHL, but Patrick Roy may want to gradually slide him into the lineup instead of slotting him into top-six minutes right away.

Of course, the Isles don’t really have other options at 2C at the moment. So, rolling with Ritchie could be a good place to start the season.

New York Islanders’ bottom six gets significant boost

The additions of Ritchie and Drouin push some players down the depth chart. And, that’s a good thing.

First, Anthony Duclair no longer plays a role in the top six. Instead, he slides down to the third line with JG Pageau and Simon Holmstrom. This setup could benefit Duclair as he would no longer be expected to score like a top-line winger. As a result, hitting the third line could give Duclair a chance to reset and recalibrate his game.

As for Holmstrom, he deserves a shot in the top six. However, doing so would be at the expense of either Barzal or Palmieri. Neither Barzal nor Palmieri slides into the bottom six. So, the Duclair-Pageau-Holmstrom line has the makings of what could be one of the best third lines in the league.

Then, there’s the checking line. Maxim Tsyplakov, Casey Cizikas, and Kyle MacLean look like initial favorites to gobble up fourth-line minutes. Tsyplakov is an RFA at the moment and needs a new contract. So, there are no guarantees there.

I would prefer to see Emil Heineman get a shot on the fourth line instead of Tsyplakov. Having both Heineman and Tsyplakov take turns as the 12th and 13th forwards could help the club.

But there’s one thing I would like to see more of. The bottom six lacks some punch. That was something the old identity line had with guys like Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin.

Lastly, there’s Pierre Engvall. According to initial projections, he’s the odd man out. It’s unclear what the Isles plan to do with him. He could head back to Bridgeport to start the season like he did this past season.

There’s little chance anyone takes his contract. A buyout would be a bad idea at this moment. Perhaps he sticks around as a 13th forward if cap limitations allow it. Sending Engvall to the minors only offsets a portion of his cap hit. But in the end, that may be the club’s only alternative.

Ultimately, the Islanders’ forward group looks much deeper than last season. Even with injuries, there are several talented players who could make the leap. While we hope injuries won’t be an issue, the club is much better suited to handle them this time around.