The Islanders don’t have a glaring roster disaster to fix, but they do have a hole that matters: a true goal-scoring winger for Mathew Barzal. That’s why Patrik Laine keeps standing out as the kind of swing worth taking.
Laine is still sitting in free agency at 28, which is hard to ignore for a player who was once a second-overall pick and has already put up a 44-goal, 70-point season. The upside is obvious. The question is whether a team can pull that version back out of him.
The last few seasons have been rough, especially his time with the Montreal Canadiens. Injuries limited him to five games last season, and even after he was healthy enough to return, the organization kept him out of the lineup. The year before that, he played 55 games and finished with 20 goals and 13 assists for 33 points, far below his peak production of 70 points with the Winnipeg Jets.
That’s where the Islanders come in. They have enough talent to give Laine a real chance to rediscover his scoring touch, and they’d also offer him a quieter market than he has dealt with throughout his NHL career. If that matters, it could matter a lot.
A setup with Pete DeBoer coaching Laine alongside Barzal and Brayden Schenn, with that line matched to Schaefer’s defense pairing, would put him in the best possible offensive spot. It would also let Bo Horvat’s line handle more of the heavy matchup work against opposing top units.
Cap space shouldn’t shut the door, either. The Islanders have about $2.9 million available, which is enough to make a bonus-laden deal work given Laine’s injuries and missed time last season. If they want a low-risk shot at raising the ceiling of their top six, this is the kind of move that could do it.
In Other News...
Islanders Leadership Debate Just Took A Stunning Turn
Peter DeBoers arrival late in the 2025-26 season has already added a fresh layer to the Islanders offseason, and one of the first things he did was take stock of the room. With Anders Lee gone and the club still operating without a captain, the leadership conversation has become one of the biggest decisions facing the team heading into 2026-27. DeBoer has made it clear he wants more time before settling on a direction, and that means training camp will carry extra weight beyond the usual roster battles.
The name drawing the most attention is Matthew Schaefer, the 18-year-old who has quickly become part of the conversation because of the way he carries himself around the team. He is viewed as a strong candidate, but the Islanders are not rushing the process, and DeBoer wants further evaluation before making anything official. For a team trying to reset its identity after Lees departure, the choice could say as much about the future as it does about the present. [Read more 🡒]
Pete DeBoer Just Turned Islanders Captain Debate Into A Bigger Story
The Islanders are heading into training camp with a leadership vacancy they have not had to navigate in seven years, and it comes with Anders Lee gone in free agency. For a team that has leaned on a clear captaincy structure for so long, the absence of that letter on a sweater is more than a formality. It is one more sign that this camp is about sorting out roles as much as it is about sharpening systems and lines.
Pete DeBoer is not rushing the process, either. He said he wants to use training camp to evaluate the leadership group before making a call on whether the Islanders will name a captain before opening night, which leaves the door open for a longer look at who can handle the room and the responsibility. In the same breath, he pointed to Matthew Schaefer as a player with real leadership upside for the future, a reminder that this decision is about both the present and what the organization wants to build next. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Add Goalie And Blue Line Depth To Bridgeport Pipeline
The Islanders added a little more organizational insurance this week, bringing back goaltender Henrik Tikkanen on a one-year deal while also stocking up on the blue line and in net for their AHL setup. Along with Tikkanen, the club signed defenseman Ryan Healey and goaltender Ryan Fanti to one-year AHL contracts, moves that give the pipeline some needed depth heading into the upcoming season.
For an organization that always has one eye on keeping Bridgeport competitive and another on shoring up the next wave of call-up options, these are the kinds of transactions that matter more than they might first appear. Tikkanens extension keeps a familiar presence in the system, while Healey and Fanti arrive as new pieces who could help stabilize the Hammers roster and provide the Islanders with more flexibility as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]