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NY Islanders HC Patrick Roy balancing development and preparation at training camp

Mar 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy (rear) reacts on the bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Mar 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy (rear) reacts on the bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

On day one of New York Islanders training camp, head coach Patrick Roy made it clear he’s been impressed with rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer.

“Obviously it was Schaefer’s first day, but he seemed like he was really open to getting input from everybody out there,” Roy said. “That’s the person he is. Am I surprised? Not at all. He’s a quality person, and he just wants to learn. When you’re saying things that make sense, he’s smart enough to use it. I was very impressed with him today.”

Roy noted that pairing the 18-year-old with veteran Scott Mayfield could pay dividends immediately. “It was nice for him to be with Maisie,” Roy explained. “I think Maisie will maybe play a big-brother kind of role for him and it will help him out. He’s vocal out there, so I think it’s going to help Schaefer a lot.”

Importantly, Roy didn’t see signs of nerves from the first overall pick. “We want him to feel free out there. We want him to enjoy himself, not feel pressure,” Roy said. “I want him to be himself, and that’s going to be very important.”

Roy also provided insight into how this camp will differ from last year’s, emphasizing more collective work and less individual breakdowns. “Last year we did a lot of one-on-one, one-on-two small-area tactical systems,” Roy said. “This year is more about going five-on-five. We worked hard on our breakouts today, a lot on our neutral-zone forecheck. There’s going to be more collective work than individual work in this training camp.”

The coach also had high praise for Mathew Barzal’s return to full health. “Outstanding,” Roy said of Barzal’s skating. “I think we were all curious to see how well he would move, and I was very happy and impressed. He was playing in the middle with Anders [Lee] and [Kyle] Palmieri, and they seemed to be connecting very well together.”

With Schaefer already turning heads and veterans embracing leadership roles, Roy’s approach to camp is balancing the development of young talent with preparing the roster for opening night.