The Islanders are only one game into the season, but it already feels like the biggest lesson from Wednesday’s opener in Toronto is the simplest one: don’t rush to judge this group yet.
That’s especially true with Mathew Barzal still out.
Without him, the forward group looks a lot thinner on paper and even more stretched once the puck drops. Barzal is the one who turns neutral-zone exits into attacks, carries the puck through the middle of the ice and makes the people around him look more dangerous. Take that away, and the Islanders have to grind much harder just to create ordinary offense.
That’s why the encouraging update from Mathieu Darche matters so much. Barzal could start skating this weekend or early next week, and Darche said the knee inflammation has been making “really, really good progress.” The GM also said Barzal shouldn’t need a long buildup once he’s back on the ice.
“Barzal is not a guy that needs three weeks to get ready,” Darche said. “You give him a few practices and he’ll be good to go.”
That’s the optimistic read. The real test comes after that: how the knee reacts when the skating intensity ramps up.
If it holds up, the timeline could move fast. If it doesn’t, everything shifts again.
Either way, the Islanders are still waiting on the version of themselves they expect to see this season.
Pete DeBoer is also installing a new system, and Barzal missed training camp, so even a quick return won’t magically fix the chemistry issue. There’s no shortcut there.
Until then, the Islanders are being evaluated as a team that isn’t quite whole.
Anthony Duclair is part of that story, too. He’s spent two seasons trying to become what the Islanders thought they were signing, and Wednesday offered a small but real reminder of what he can bring.
In the 2-1 loss, Duclair was one of the club’s more noticeable forwards. He skated with pace, helped create one of the better chances, and eventually moved up from the fourth line because DeBoer liked the legs he was bringing.
One game doesn’t wipe away the last two years. But it also shouldn’t be ignored.
Duclair’s speed and ability to create something out of nothing are the kind of traits this lineup still needs, especially while Barzal is sidelined. If this becomes the norm instead of a one-night blip, DeBoer suddenly has another real top-nine option instead of a player he has to squeeze into the lineup.
That would matter for an offense that looked plain without Barzal.
The same night also produced a wildly early conversation about Matthew Schaefer’s future. After just one game of the second year of his entry-level deal, people are already talking about what an extension might look like in a cap world where young stars are getting paid sooner and bigger.
Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek and Isles beat reporter Stefen Rosner discussed the possibility, and Rosner said he doesn’t expect Schaefer to take a traditional hometown discount. On a shorter deal, he suggested $21-22 million may not be out of the question.
Schaefer also turned in a number worth filing away: per NHL Edge Stats, the 19-year-old posted the fastest max skating speed in the NHL on Wednesday at 22.97 mph and led the slate in total skating distance at 4.26 miles.
There was also a look back to October 2, 2009, when the Islanders named Doug Weight the 12th captain in franchise history. He had served as an alternate captain the year before under Bill Guerin and wore the “C” for two seasons. Weight later finished his playing career by winning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in their community.”
The Islanders also released their hometown remix jersey schedule, with the sweaters set to arrive in early November.
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The timing matters for New York because the forward group is still being sorted out, and every shift in usage can ripple through the rest of the lineup. Eklunds rise is one of the more encouraging developments around the club right now, even as the broader division picture keeps shifting and rivals continue to manage their own roster and injury situations. [Read more 🡒]
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So any move the Islanders make has to thread a narrow needle: aggressive enough to improve the team, but careful enough not to drain the prospect pool or future flexibility. Darches stance points to a patient approach, one that values organizational health as much as short-term impact, and it leaves the club facing a difficult market where the best targets usually come with the steepest prices. [Read more 🡒]
Casey Cizikas Suddenly Faces A Bigger Islanders Question
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Cizikas is skating with Ondrej Palat and Matias Maccelli right now, a combination meant to help keep the offense from leaning too heavily on the top of the lineup. Even so, his long-term status remains unsettled as he works through the final season of an expiring contract with no trade protection. For a player who has been such a steady part of the Islanders fabric, the bigger question is no longer just how he fits this season, but how much longer that fit lasts. [Read more 🡒]