The New York Islanders are into training camp with a lot already in motion, and head coach Peter DeBoer is trying to turn that early work into something real before the September 30th opener in Toronto.
DeBoer has a different kind of head start than most first-year coaches. He got a look at this group at the end of last season and has been part of the offseason planning, so he isn’t walking in blind.
Even so, the bar around camp is higher than usual. The roster is largely the same group he inherited, with captain Anders Lee gone and Bo Horvat stepping into the leadership role after his own experience wearing the C in Vancouver.
That mix of established veterans and young talent makes camp evaluation a little more layered. For the staff, one of the biggest jobs this September is watching the younger players take steps forward. Liam Foudy, Victor Eklund, Cole Esierman, Kashawn Aitcheson, and Daniil Prokhorov all fall into that bucket.
The bigger near-term focus, though, is on Calum Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer. Both are expected to keep making gains in development and production, and both could end up playing a major role in whether the Islanders reach the playoffs.
There’s also the less glamorous part of camp: figuring out which veterans won’t matter much to the NHL roster this season. Pierre Engvall is the name that stands out most in that conversation, with Ondrej Palat and Anthony Duclair also in the mix. The fourth line could end up rotating through those players depending on injuries and production.
At the same time, the Islanders have to absorb DeBoer’s system and philosophy quickly. That adjustment will go a long way toward determining how the coaching staff feels when camp wraps and the team heads to Toronto.
And like every team this time of year, the simplest marker of success is staying healthy. For the Islanders, that carries extra weight after Mathew Barzal was sidelined at the start of camp.
In Other News...
Islanders Owner Shared The Wild Story Behind A Franchise-Changing Night
Jon Ledecky still sounds a little amazed when he talks about the night the Islanders changed course. The co-owner said he leaned into every bit of help he could find before the 2025 NHL draft lottery, and the result was one of those franchise-defining turns that can reshape everything from the prospect pipeline to the mood around the organization. With the No. 1 pick in hand, the Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer, who has quickly become one of the most visible young figures in the organization and a central part of the teams longer-term story.
Ledecky framed the moment as part of his job as a steward rather than a decision-maker on the hockey side, making clear that he lets the hockey people handle hockey decisions. The lottery win has taken on even more meaning because of what has followed around Schaefer, including his role in helping bring attention to a child support center named after his late mother. For an Islanders franchise that has spent years searching for the right pivot point, that one night now sits at the center of a lot more than draft order. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Just Gave UBS Arena Fans A Wild New Reason To Talk
UBS Arenas concession lineup is about to get a lot more interesting, with the Islanders and Delaware North rolling out a pair of new food items for the 2026-27 NHL season. It is the kind of arena dining news that travels fast in hockey circles, especially when a venue is looking to give fans something to talk about beyond the scoreboard.
One of the additions leans all the way into the sweet-and-savory trend, while the other takes an equally aggressive turn with a mashup built around a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For Islanders fans, it is another sign that the building keeps trying to make the game-night experience feel as memorable off the ice as it is on it, even if one of those creations is destined to be the more controversial order at the counter. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Camp Cuts Just Put Several Roster Hopefuls In Trouble
The Islanders kept trimming the training camp picture ahead of their second preseason game, a sign that the roster race is getting tighter by the day. Ethan Bear and Henrik Tikkanen were among the latest names moved off the active camp roster, while 12 others were sent to the clubs AHL affiliate in Hamilton as the team works toward getting its group in order before the regular season.
For a few hopefuls, the latest cuts make the path considerably steeper, especially with roster limits looming by September 28. The moves are part of the normal late-camp squeeze, but they also show how little margin there is left for players trying to force their way into the Islanders opening night plans. [Read more 🡒]