Five games into the season, the New York Islanders have already shown a little bit of everything. Some nights have looked sharp, others messy, and most have landed somewhere in the middle. But amid that uneven start, two veterans who weren’t exactly penciled in as major difference-makers have become early reasons for optimism.
Ondrej Palat and Anthony Duclair are giving the Islanders the kind of production and energy they badly need, even if the raw numbers only tell part of the story.
Duclair has one goal through five games, but the bigger sign is how he’s moving. After a groin injury wrecked his 2024-25 season, he’s skating with speed and confidence that were missing before. Following a rough outing against the Rangers, Pete DeBoer challenged him, and Duclair answered in Thursday’s 4-1 win over Chicago with a goal.
"It's nice to be healthy and get going," Duclair said. "Just feeling like myself again."
Palat’s start has been just as important. The veteran winger, acquired from New Jersey last January, never really looked settled after arriving on Long Island.
This season feels different. With a full offseason behind him, he’s moving better and producing more consistently, with a goal and an assist through five games.
"He came in this year with an attitude, ‘I’m going to show everyone.’"
Jean-Gabriel Pageau sees the same edge in both players. In his view, Palat and Duclair are veterans who have plenty to prove after frustrating stretches.
"Last year didn't go the way he wanted and now he has his second chance," Pageau said of Palat. "He came in this year with an attitude, 'I'm going to show everyone.' I see the same thing [from Duclair]."
DeBoer believes simply having more time to adjust to his surroundings has helped Palat settle in. However it’s being explained, the Islanders are seeing the payoff now.
And that matters because Mathew Barzal is still sidelined. With him out, the Islanders can’t lean only on Bo Horvat, Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin to drive everything. They need contributions from deeper in the lineup, and they need them from places opponents may not be expecting.
So far, Palat and Duclair have filled that role.
In Other News...
Mathew Barzal Found Unexpected Inspiration During His Injury Comeback
Mathew Barzals road back from a knee injury has been a long one, but an unexpected moment on live television gave the Islanders forward a boost he probably did not see coming. During an appearance on Fox & Friends, Barzal was surprised by Tommy Ryan, a fan whose connection to the team and to Barzal goes back to Ryans hospitalization, when he credited the Islanders for helping him get through leukemia treatment.
The relationship has grown from there, including a previous meeting at UBS Arena, and Ryans presence clearly hit home for Barzal as he continues working his way through recovery. For a player trying to navigate the patience and grind of coming back, finding motivation in the story of a fan who drew strength from him in the first place is a reminder that these ties can run both ways. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Schaefer Is Giving Islanders Fans A Massive Reason To Believe
At 19, Matthew Schaefer is already logging a workload that would be notable for a veteran, let alone a rookie defenseman. The Islanders are trusting him with 25:26 of ice time per game, and even in a role that still leaves him with limited shorthanded duty, his influence has been obvious every night hes on the ice.
The numbers back up what the eye test suggests. Schaefers underlying profile includes a 54.9% expected goals share and 3.52 expected goals for per 60 minutes, markers of a player driving play rather than just surviving it. With that kind of start, it is easy to see why the conversation around him is already stretching far beyond this season and into the kind of upside that can reshape a blue line. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Got The Exact Boost They Needed In A Tight Win
Kyle Palmieri gave the Islanders exactly the kind of lift they had been waiting for in a 3-2 win over the Canucks, scoring twice and finishing the night with the deciding goal. It was the sort of timely contribution New York needed in a tight game, and it came with the added significance of Palmieri continuing to work his way back after ACL surgery, a process the team has been watching closely.
Matias Maccelli also fit neatly into the picture, scoring his first goal as an Islander and helping create the winner after getting moved up to the top line. Head coach Pete DeBoer praised both players afterward, pointing to Palmieris return and Maccellis motivation and performance as encouraging signs for a team looking for more reliable offense when the margins are thin. [Read more 🡒]