The New York Islanders are moving through training camp and the preseason with the regular season creeping closer, and the next stretch will give them two more chances to fine-tune things before the games start counting.
After a strong comeback win over the New York Rangers in their second preseason game, the Islanders still have two exhibitions left on the schedule: another meeting with the Rangers at UBS, followed by a game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. After that, it’s straight into the season-opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
That Rangers game carried extra weight because a lot of the regulars were in the lineup, and the Islanders came away with several positives. The power play was the loudest of them all.
A year after struggling badly, the unit clicked for three goals on five chances Tuesday night. Matias Maccelli also made his presence felt in his first game with the team.
But the biggest development may have been Semyon Varlamov getting back on the ice for the first time in a couple of years. There had been real uncertainty about whether he would make it back to NHL action at all, and on Tuesday he looked sharp.
That matters for a team trying to push into playoff contention. Ilya Sorokin is clearly the starter, but in an 84-game season, the Islanders are going to need to manage his workload. A dependable backup is a must, and Varlamov can fill that role if he stays healthy.
Against the Rangers, he actually looked better than Sorokin. Varlamov saw 10 shots and stopped all 10 of them.
For a goalie who missed as much time as he did, it was an encouraging return. At 38, he is in the back half of his career, but he still has a chance to matter for this team in a big way.
Sorokin will be chasing the Vezina Trophy, and the Islanders could have a real advantage if Varlamov gives them steady minutes behind him. A healthy Varlamov gives them the kind of backup who can rest Sorokin and keep him fresh when it counts.
In Other News...
Islanders Just Gave A Familiar Roy Voice An Important New Role
The Islanders have brought Benoit Desrosiers back into the fold in a different capacity, hiring the former assistant coach as a pro scout to help strengthen the organizations scouting department. Desrosiers had been working under Patrick Roy with a specific focus on the clubs face-off unit, a detail that mattered because puck possession off the draw has been one of the cleaner parts of the teams game during his time on staff.
His transition comes after a late-season change on the bench, when he was relieved of his coaching duties and replaced by Rocky Thompson. For the Islanders, the move keeps a familiar Roy voice in the organization while shifting Desrosiers into a role that will ask him to evaluate players from a wider lens, an adjustment that could end up being just as important behind the scenes as his coaching work was on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Scott Mayfield Is Becoming An Islanders Blue Line Dilemma
Scott Mayfield was part of the mix in the Islanders 4-2 win over the Rangers, but the conversation around him feels different now than it did earlier in his career. Entering his 13th NHL season, he still brings the physical edge and penalty-killing work that have long made him useful, yet there are more moments where his declining speed and slower decision-making show up in plain view. For a team that still values what he can provide, that has created a familiar kind of balancing act.
The Islanders also have younger defense options starting to press for attention, which makes Mayfields spot feel less settled than it once did. If Isaiah George and Kashawn Aitcheson keep pushing for bigger roles, the blue line picture only gets tighter from here, especially with Mayfields contract still carrying significant term ahead of it. For now, he remains a part of the defense rotation, but the direction of the conversation has clearly shifted. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Face A Center Problem That Could Define Their Season
The Islanders have found themselves in a familiar sort of roster puzzle, only this one goes straight to the middle of the ice. Bo Horvat is set as the top center, and the rest of the depth chart is crowded with names that can help in different ways but do not all fit neatly into the same role. Mat Barzal, J-G Pageau, Brayden Schenn and Casey Cizikas each bring something distinct, while Cal Ritchie represents the younger end of the conversation as the team sorts through who belongs where.
What makes the situation tricky is that the Islanders have more than enough candidates to fill center spots, yet still not enough ideal answers to make the position feel settled. Recent trades and contract decisions have only added to the complexity, shaping a group that looks versatile on paper but unresolved in practice. For a team trying to define its identity and stay competitive, how the center mix shakes out could end up being one of the seasons biggest quiet storylines. [Read more 🡒]