The Islanders are trimming the roster and rolling into their preseason finale with a lineup that looks a lot closer to the real thing.
New York faces the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena on Monday night in its last tuneup before the season opener, and the group on the ice includes a few key names returning from injury. Defensemen Alexander Romanov and Ryan Pulock are back after successful returns in Friday’s 6-1 loss to the Rangers, while Semyon Varlamov is getting the night off.
Ilya Sorokin is expected to start and play the full game as he prepares for the regular season. The Islanders open on Sept. 30 on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
On the back end, the Islanders are carrying seven defensemen for this one. Along with Romanov and Pulock, the blue line features Adam Pelech, Matt Kessel, Scott Mayfield, Isaiah George and Kashawn Aitcheson. Matthew Schaefer is sitting out again.
Up front, New York is dressing 11 forwards against New Jersey. Anthony Duclair is in the lineup for a second straight game, and Emil Heineman is also going again. The forward group also includes Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri, JG Pageau, Casey Cizikas, Matias Maccelli, Cal Ritchie, Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Simon Holmstrom.
Maccelli made a loud first impression in an Islanders sweater, scoring two power-play goals in the Sept. 22 comeback win over the Rangers.
The roster is thinner because of a wave of moves made earlier in the day. Matthew Highmore was assigned to the Hamilton Hammers of the AHL, along with Alex Jefferies, Josh Kotai, Daniil Prokhorov and Marshall Warren.
Mitchell Chaffee, Pierre Engvall, Liam Foudy, Daylan Kuefler and Matt Luff were placed on waivers with the intention of being assigned to Hamilton if they clear.
That kind of waiver move doesn’t usually turn into a big shakeup. Last year, only 10 of the 233 players who went on waivers landed with a different team, and this year only three players have been claimed so far.
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 Enter The Season With One Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Islanders wrapped up their preseason with a few final roster calls that helped clarify the shape of the group heading into opening night. Logan Stanley was signed, while Cole Eiserman and Kashawn Aitcheson were assigned to Hamilton, a reminder that the club is still sorting through its depth even as it moves from exhibition mode to the regular season under coach Pete DeBoer.
New York also closed the preseason with a loss to New Jersey, so the focus now shifts to how the lineup pieces fit once the games count. Bo Horvat, Ryan Pulock, Matthew Schaefer, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and Semyon Varlamov are all expected to play key roles, but the bigger question around the Islanders remains how the roster settles after those last decisions and what it means for the tone of the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]