Regular-season hockey is here, and now the Islanders have to live with the choices that came out of camp.
That’s the point where the training-camp fog lifts. For three weeks, almost everything can be explained away.
A prospect flashes? Keep watching.
A veteran looks a step slow? He just needs his legs.
A weird line combination? It’s experimentation.
A shaky sequence? It’s preseason.
Then the games stop being exhibitions, and the roster decisions start carrying real weight.
For the Islanders, that moment hit on Sunday, and Mathieu Darche’s calls told a story. Isaiah George spent camp trying to show he was already one of the team’s sixth or seventh defensemen.
The Islanders signed Logan Stanley. Cole Eiserman kept making the case that his shot is already NHL-ready.
He’s headed to Hamilton. Kashawn Aitcheson gave the Islanders more to think about than expected.
Hamilton, too.
The preseason finale Saturday didn’t help the mood. After three weeks of Pete DeBoer putting in a new system, the Islanders were outworked, outshot and beaten 4-1 by New Jersey. Not the kind of finish anyone was looking for.
Even so, the room isn’t buying the outside noise.
Bo Horvat said that when everything clicks, the Islanders have “a really good hockey team.” Ryan Pulock said the predictions of a missed playoff berth have given him extra motivation. Matthew Schaefer has been open about liking the doubt and loving when haters hate.
There’s no shortage of reasons for confidence. Schaefer is special.
Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov are healthy. Semyon Varlamov is back after two knee surgeries.
Victor Eklund looked the part and made the team. Matias Maccelli brings skill.
And DeBoer has done this before.
Still, belief only goes so far. By Wednesday night in Toronto, the 84-game season will start writing the real answers, and time will tell whether the Islanders or the naysayers had it right.
In Other News...
Mathew Barzals Status Just Put Islanders Fans On Opening Night Watch
Mathew Barzals status has become one of the Islanders early camp storylines, and for good reason. The center has missed the preseason after not passing his physical at the start of training camp, leaving the team to manage his recovery while keeping an eye on the start of the regular season. Even so, the setup is not as ominous as it first sounds, because the Islanders still have a path to getting him back into the lineup quickly once he is ready.
Barzal is currently designated as injured non roster because of a left knee injury, a label that keeps him off the active group for now but does not close the door on a fast return. He is eligible to play the same day he is placed on the roster, which is why opening night now feels like the date to watch. For the Islanders, the hope is straightforward: have one of their most important players ready when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Forward Group Sends A Clear Message About Opening Night
The Islanders locked in their opening-night roster before the 5 p.m. deadline, and the shape of the forward group says plenty about where things stand heading into the new season. The club officially carried 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies, with 19-year-old Victor Eklund earning a spot out of training camp and giving the lineup a fresh look right away.
Matthew Barzals status is the other part of the picture, as he is listed as Injured Non-Roster and does not count toward the 23-player limit. There is still no timeline for his return, which leaves the Islanders with a little more uncertainty in the short term even as they head into opening night with their roster set. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Just Added A New Twist To Their Off-Ice Rise
The Islanders off-ice ascent took another notable step this week, with the franchise agreeing to bring in a new group of investors as the team continues to build around the business boom that has followed UBS Arena and the surrounding development. The pending NHL-approved transaction comes as the clubs valuation has climbed sharply from where it stood in 2014, underscoring how much the organizations footprint has grown beyond the ice.
Scott Malkin is expected to remain the controlling owner, and the move is not expected to alter the teams daily operations. Still, any time a franchise like this opens the door to outside capital, it invites attention to what comes next, especially for a club whose rise in value has mirrored its push to establish a more stable long-term home on Long Island. [Read more 🡒]