The Islanders are leaning on experience for tonight’s preseason test against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, and the lineup says plenty about where the battles are starting to heat up. Puck drop is set for just after 7 o’clock, and New York is rolling out a group packed with NHL veterans.
The biggest headline is in goal, where Semyon Varlamov is set for his first preseason appearance of the year. He and Ilya Sorokin are expected to split the game, giving Varlamov another step on the long road back after double knee-replacement surgery.
He hasn’t appeared in NHL action since November 2024 and played two AHL rehab games last season. This is another checkpoint in what has already become one of hockey’s most compelling comeback stories.
There’s also a real opportunity here for some of the younger names trying to force their way into the conversation. Cole Eiserman and Kashawn Aitcheson are both getting a chance to make a statement, especially with both teams dressing NHL-heavy lineups in Manhattan.
On the blue line, Matthew Schaefer gets his first game look on the right side, paired with Adam Pelech. That’s a combination worth watching closely, and it has the feel of a pairing that could fit New York very well.
Aitcheson, meanwhile, gets another big chance next to Scott Mayfield. Both players bring a physical edge, and Aitcheson already logged heavy minutes in Sunday’s preseason game in Newark, leading the Islanders’ defense in ice time. This one feels like another important audition.
Isaiah George is in the mix again too, this time alongside Tony DeAngelo. That gives George a chance to play off DeAngelo’s smooth skating and keep pushing his case.
Up front, the Islanders are mixing and matching a bit, but the top six appears to be the same group from yesterday’s practice. The third line changes with Eiserman replacing Emil Heineman and skating with Victor Eklund and Jean-Gabriel Pageau. For Eiserman, that’s a major chance to show how close he is to NHL readiness.
The fourth line is where the real roster crunch lives. Ondrej Palat, Cizikas, Anthony Duclair, Pierre Engvall, MacLean, and Chaffee are all in the fight for spots on opening night and on the roster.
MacLean and Chaffee especially need strong nights to help their cause. The Islanders want that unit to bring pace, physicality, and a hard forecheck, and that’s exactly the kind of role this group is built to battle for.
With rosters due next Monday, this is the kind of preseason game that starts sorting things out. The fourth line and the bottom two defensive pairings carry real weight now, and tonight gives the Islanders another chance to see who is separating from the pack.
In Other News...
Islanders May Have Found A Draft Steal On The Blue Line
The Islanders spent the 2026 draft adding to a blue-line pipeline that started with first-rounder Malte Gustafsson and continued with fourth-round pick Lincoln Kuehne and fifth-rounder Vladimir Dravecky. Kuehne is off to Arizona State for NCAA hockey and did not attend training camp, while Dravecky got a longer look around the team during preseason and made enough of an impression to warrant a closer eye from the coaching staff.
Draveckys night stood out because he was trusted in a prominent special-teams role and helped create the teams lone goal with a primary assist, the kind of detail that can turn a late-round selection into a talking point. The next step is already set, as he heads to the OHL for the season, but the Islanders may have a better sense now of whether they found more than just another depth piece on defense. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Palmieri Opens Up About His Brutal Road Back To Islanders
Kyle Palmieri is finally back in the mix with the Islanders after a long and punishing rehab journey that kept him away from team activities for nearly 10 months. Coming off an ACL tear, the veteran forward leaned heavily on pool work and other controlled exercises to stay on track, even when the weather turned and the recovery process felt just as much mental as physical. For a player who has built his game on persistence, the return to structured practices has brought a clear sense of relief.
Palmieris road back was anything but routine, with rehabilitation that required him to spend long stretches in the water and keep grinding through the winter months. The Islanders can now begin to see the benefits of that patience, even if there is still more work ahead before everything feels fully normal again. For Palmieri, simply being around teammates and back in a team setting has already been a meaningful step after a brutal stretch away from the rink. [Read more 🡒]
Cole Eiserman Is Giving Islanders Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
Cole Eisermans first taste of preseason action against NHL players gave Islanders fans a little more to chew on when it comes to the organizations future. The young prospect said the experience helped him test his skills and grow more confident, and it came at a useful moment as he continues adjusting to the faster, sharper pace that comes with moving from the NCAA to Bridgeport and then into a more demanding pro environment.
Eiserman also noted how valuable it has been to share the ice with NHL talent, saying it has helped him better understand his positioning and his offensive game. For a player whose ceiling already has people around the Islanders talking, those small signs of comfort matter, especially when the next step is learning how to create against the kind of goaltending and defensive structure he will keep seeing as he climbs. [Read more 🡒]