NY Islanders are a team looking towards the future, but needing results now

The NY Islanders are a team in transition. Since the end of the 2024/25 season, the Isles have a new General Manager, new assistant coaches, have welcomed in some new talent and said goodbye to core players. With change such as this, if not done correctly, can have a tremendous impact; either a step in the right direction or misery for years to come. While still too early to tell, new GM Mathieu Darche and Head Coach Patrick Roy seem to be on the same page when it comes to the roster. But have they done enough to secure a spot in this year's NHL Playoffs? Only time will tell.

With the likes of Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck retired, Isles have to reinvent their "identity"

The NY Islanders for a decade had what was known around NHL circles as, "The Best 4th Line in Hockey". Their style of hard-hitting forechecking and energy made it uncomfortable for opponents and the energy the group brought helped lift the team and the fanbase. But now, Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck have since retired (remaining with the Islanders front office and broadcast team, respectively), leaving only the veteran Casey Cizikas from the trio. Their style of play defined the Islanders identity as a team that would wear you down and look for opportunities on the counter attack. To begin the 2025/26 season, the Islanders have seemed to have done a complete 180 with regards to how they are approaching the game. The most notable aspect you see in this squad can be defined with one word: Speed.

Islanders are utilizing their greatest asset, but defense needs to adjust

Watching this latest version of the NY Islanders, the first thing that you can't help but notice is how fast they play. With the addition of their star rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, forwards Max Shabanov, Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman the Isles have been moving the puck more freely. Every time Schaefer starts a rush up the ice, older Islander fans may be imagining Bob Bourne flying out of the zone in the 1983 playoffs against the NY Rangers, going end-to-end with speed and confidence (Bourne scored by the way). The puck is moving faster in transition and the offensive zone. Shabanov is like a waterbug, darting about the ice. Barzal has come back from injury showing off the smooth strides and power that helped to win him the Calder Trophy as Rookie-of-the Year.

With this new found approach, the main issue to be address is o defense. The Isles first pairing d-men, Tony DeAngelo and Alex Romanov have looked lost at times, getting caught in between staying on the offensive or bailing out to backcheck. The skill of the 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer is on display almost every shift, and because of this, not sure if the aging Scott Mayfield is the best choice to be his sidekick. Mayfield lacks the speed to adjust defensely to rushes up ice, leaving Adam Boqvist as a possible addition into the Isles lineup regularly a possibility. It makes more sense to have a solid defensive presence like Romanov pair with Schaefer, while Boqvist replaces Mayfield and aligns with DeAngelo. Mayfield has done a great job helping Schaefer acclimate to the NHL from Junior hockey, but if the Islanders new identity is speed, then he unfortunately is the odd man out.