The Islanders are back on the road tonight, and the schedule is a short one but not exactly gentle. It starts in Ottawa, then swings to Toronto on Saturday, giving New York a two-game Ontario trip before heading back.
Ottawa will be missing Brady Tkachuk, who had a hat trick the other night, because of what was described as classic Sibling Envy. The Senators also won’t have Eklund the Lesser after a foot/ankle injury. Even so, they still have red jerseys of their own, at least some nights.
Kyle Palmieri’s return has become one of the brighter threads in the Islanders’ season. His teammates were fired up for his two-goal burst in his long comeback from injury, and Palmieri has said he knows how fortunate he is to be playing at his age, especially after watching Alex Romanov go down again.
The Islanders also know they made life harder than it needed to be against the Canucks. That’s a habit they really should avoid against weaker teams.
There’s also been a little individual history for Schaefer, who is now the youngest defenseman - and third-youngest player - in NHL history with an assist in each of the season’s first four home games. Wayne Gretzky and Sam Gagner also managed four straight, though neither got an assist in their fifth game. The teenage record is 10 games, set by Ron Francis.
After the game, the team’s locker room awards went to the Swedish Meatball and Palmieri.
Around the league, DeBoer discussed the new official full-time EBUGs and said it sounds like a pretty good gig. The Flyers’ winless start has them in a strange and funny spot on the panic meter. In Detroit, Alex DeBrincat signed for seven more years and $91 million, and the Red Wings also said they aren’t trading unsigned Simon Edvinsson.
Brady Tkachuk’s hat trick also made history as the first natural hat trick with all three goals assisted by a brother in NHL history. The Tkachuks talked about how nice it is to play with each other and even floated the idea that all the Hughes brothers should gather in Minnesota.
There are injuries piling up in Carolina, where Jordan Staal is out for two months and Taylor Hall has now been added to the list. There’s also still the question of where Connor Hellebuyck is headed, and when. And in an early-season power ranking note, one line stood out: “Over the last five years, only one goalie has saved more goals above expected than Sorokin and he’s currently sitting at home.”
In Other News...
Kyle Palmieri May Be Giving The Islanders Needed Scoring Hope
Kyle Palmieris return to the scoresheet offered the Islanders a welcome jolt against Vancouver, a reminder that one of their more reliable scoring pieces may be finding his way back at the right time. After spending months working through recovery from the torn ACL in his left knee he suffered in November 2025, Palmieri had been focused on getting himself back to a point where he could help more than just by showing up in the lineup.
The timing matters because the Islanders have been searching for offense, and Palmieris first points of the 2026-27 season came at a useful moment. He said the emphasis has been on recovery and on improving his impact on the team, and his performance against the Canucks at least suggests there may be more to come as he settles back in. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Players Are Learning How To Earn DeBoers Trust Fast
Pete DeBoer has wasted little time establishing how things will work for the Islanders, and the early message has been simple: play well, and the ice time follows. The coach has leaned into a merit-based approach, rewarding performance while still adjusting for injuries and lineup needs, and that has created a clearer sense of what earns trust in the moment. Players such as Kyle Palmieri and Logan Stanley have pointed to the upside of that setup, noting the benefit of knowing where they stand and what DeBoer expects.
For a group still sorting through combinations, that clarity matters. DeBoer has been direct with players about roles and line changes, which gives the Islanders a structure they can build around even as the roster remains in flux. The bigger question is how quickly that trust can be earned, and how long the coach keeps the door open for players who make a case with their play. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Prospect Is Starting To Look Like A Draft Steal
A late-round defenseman can be easy to overlook in a draft class, but Vladimir Dravecky is starting to attract attention in a way that should matter to the Islanders. The 2026 fifth-round pick is developing with the Guelph Storm, where associate coach Ron Davison, a former Islanders defenseman, has been able to see the progress up close. Davison has liked what Dravecky has brought so far, pointing to his growing role, his time on the power play and the offensive flashes that make him more than just a depth project.
Dravecky is also being molded by a staff that includes Davison and Dan Girardi, which gives the Islanders a familiar development path to watch as he keeps moving through junior hockey. There is still work to do, as there always is with a young defenseman, but the early signs are encouraging enough that this pick no longer looks like a simple lottery ticket. For an organization always looking to add impact on the blue line, Dravecky is becoming a prospect worth following closely. [Read more 🡒]