The New York Islanders are walking into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks a lot like the one they finished with last year, but that hasn’t stopped outside observers from sliding them near the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.
There are a few notable changes. Anders Lee is gone after leaving in free agency and signing with the Utah Mammoth, and the Islanders are hoping to offset that loss with free-agent addition Matias Maccelli, plus help from returning veterans and a rookie who forced his way onto the roster.
Victor Eklund, the No. 16 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, made the team out of training camp. Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov are back from injury, and Ryan Pulock is healthy again after dealing with ailments last season.
Even with Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin in place as the headliners, and Peter DeBoer taking over for his first season behind the bench, the Islanders aren’t drawing much confidence from The Athletic’s beat writers and national NHL writers, who put together Metropolitan Division predictions for the year.
New York finished with 19 points in the voting, leaving only the Pittsburgh Penguins behind them. Pittsburgh, who finished second last season, was picked to finish last this time and collected 15 points along with four last-place votes, the most in the division. The Islanders tied the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second-most last-place votes with two.
That projection stands out because New York won 91 points last season. Still, the quiet offseason likely played a big part in the skepticism. While other teams in the Metropolitan Division and across the Eastern Conference made meaningful upgrades, the Islanders largely stayed put.
There is still some upside in the system. Cole Eiserman and Kashawn Aitcheson are among the young names working their way through the pipeline and could eventually join Schaefer and Eklund. But for now, the Islanders look like a team in transition, trying to sort out which pieces belong around Schaefer and who fits into the long-term core.
The situation around Mathew Barzal only adds to the uncertainty as the season begins.
In Other News...
Islanders Were In On Kirill Marchenko But One Big Hurdle Loomed
Kirill Marchenkos name was one of the more intriguing ones floating around the trade market, and the Islanders were among the teams doing their homework. Columbus ultimately moved the winger to the Maple Leafs in a deal headlined by Matthew Knies and other pieces, but the wider field around Marchenko helps explain why the Blue Jackets had so many moving parts to consider before pulling the trigger.
New York was never alone in the chase, with Montreal reportedly involved right up to the end and interest also coming from Boston, Seattle and Tampa Bay. Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell said Marchenko preferred to play elsewhere, though he did not spell out why, leaving the sort of unfinished background story that often shapes whether a team keeps pushing or moves on to the next name on its list. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Just Sent A Clear Message About Matthew Schaefer
The Islanders have signaled plenty of confidence in Matthew Schaefer before he has even settled into his NHL career, and now the organization is putting that belief into a visible leadership role. For the 2026-27 season, the club has named its alternate captains, a group that includes Ryan Pulock, Kyle Palmieri and Brayden Schenn, while Bo Horvat remains the captain at the top of the room.
Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, is the youngest name in that mix by a wide margin, which makes the assignment stand out even more. The Islanders are clearly looking beyond just his on-ice upside and treating him like part of their leadership core, a strong indication of how central they believe he can become as this roster continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Victor Eklunds Rapid Rise Just Changed The Islanders Opening Night Picture
Victor Eklunds quick climb has become one of the more notable developments around the Islanders as they set their opening-night group. The rookie right winger, who was the clubs second first-round pick in 2025, earned a spot on the 23-man roster after making his NHL debut in April 2026, adding another young layer to a lineup that is already taking shape for the start of the season.
The Islanders also finalized their alternate captains as camp wrapped and the roster decisions came into focus. With the opening night picture now a little clearer, the team is also dealing with some early uncertainty in the lineup mix, leaving the first game of the season with at least one important question still hanging over it. [Read more 🡒]