One young Islanders player is quietly falling out of the picture

Maxim Tsyplakov looks like he will be a healthy scratch when the New York Islanders take the ice again. While it seems like it's no big deal right now, and you'll probably hear players and coaches reiterate that, let's look at the bigger picture.

Last season, Tsyplakov looked like he was on an upward trajectory, clocking in 35 points and 10 goals across 77 contests along with a plus-4 rating. He was a physical force, with 140 hits, and Tsyplakov also logged middle-six minutes, with an average time on ice of 14:58. Not bad for a first-year player.

Through three games this season, Tsyplakov has been beyond disappointing, with zero points, a minus-2 rating, and 9:39 of average total ice time. That regression isn't something you want to see from a young player who can transform into a reliable piece of a brewing core on Long Island.

To make matters worse, Tsyplakov hasn't fared well in advanced metrics either. He's been on the ice for two goals allowed at even strength and has just an 84.6 on-ice save percentage. Meanwhile, he's recorded a Corsi For of just 45.6, despite 76.5 percent of his starts coming in the offensive zone. His Corsi, at worst, should be at least 60 percent, but it's becoming clear that the Isles are getting limited chances when he's on the ice. 

Maxim Tsyplakov must find a way to grow into a key contributor for the Islanders

Now in his second full season on Long Island, Tsyplakov was expected to reside somewhere in the half-point per game mark. With 35 of them in 77 contests a season ago, Tsyplakov resided in the 0.454 mark per contest range, so bumping up to a half-point per shouldn't be that difficult.

But the upside is that the Isles are only a few games into the 2025-26 season, so there's enough time for him to get his act together. That said, right now, the first step in seeing a young player fade is for them to watch games from the press box. And if that becomes the norm as the season progresses, then there could be a chance Tsyplakov isn't part of the Isles' long-term plans. 

Still, you would be best to hope otherwise, since Tsyplakov has shown he can provide supplementary scoring and playmaking for the Isles. He can also factor in as a glue player who isn't afraid of contact. And as the Isles improve as a unit once this core starts to mesh, they will need a player with Tsyplakov's tenacity.

It won't be long until we see if the Isles will keep rolling with other players and if Tsypklakov is relegated to a rotational role as a 13th forward. Should he learn from early-season mistakes, he will be fine. And for the sake of the Isles, let's hope that's the case.