The NY Islanders need to target Steve Spott as an Assistant Coach to rejoin Peter Deboer behind the bench

In a season that saw plenty of changes around the NY Islanders organization, the biggest one came with four games remaining, as Patrick Roy was relieved of his head coaching duties and Peter DeBoer was brought in to take over at the helm.

As we've seen with Roy and coaches around the league, head coaches prefer to bring in their own assistants to join them behind the bench, and it should be expected that DeBoer will do the same. Shortly after the season ended, assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers is one Islanders assistant that has already been let go.

The Islanders could turn to Steve Spott as an Assistant Coach

Throughout his stops with the San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars, Steve Spott has been someone at DeBoer's side for 11 seasons. Spott, who is currently an assistant coach under Marco Sturm with the Boston Bruins, could be someone DeBoer looks to add to his coaching staff for the 2026-27 season.

Spott has been someone relied on by Deboer in terms of the power play. In their 11 seasons together behind the bench, their teams have finished in the top 10 six times, with an average PP% of 21.5 - a mark the Islanders haven't reached since the 2017-18 season.

“Power plays are very fragile; it’s amazing,” Spott said on The Hockey Hub after being hired in Boston. "There’s times when the five guys will jump over the bench knowing they’re going to score. There’s times when the five guys will jump over the bench thinking, ‘Good Lord, we’re struggling right now.’ It really becomes a mental test for the players.”

The Islanders have clearly struggled to believe they'll score on the power play, as it's been a losing battle the past few seasons.

Perhaps DeBoer can lure his former assistant away from Boston and to Long Island, as the two have chemistry together, and he could be the missing piece to unlocking the Islanders' power play.

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