With the regular season closing in, the New York Islanders are beginning to trim down the young talent they brought into camp, and Saturday brought a clear set of roster decisions.
New York announced that Isaiah George, Kashawn Aitcheson and Cole Eiserman have been assigned to Hamilton in the AHL. The club also placed goaltender Vitek Vanecek on waivers for the purpose of re-assignment to Hamilton.
The move that stands out most is George’s. He was the prospect the Islanders seemed most likely to keep around after camp, especially after the team shifted Matthew Schaefer to the right side of the blue line to open a lane for him. But George did not do enough to lock down a spot, and he’ll begin the season in the AHL.
Aitcheson’s assignment makes sense as well, even after an impressive offseason. He remains very young, and the Islanders clearly aren’t in a hurry to push him before he’s ready.
Eiserman also showed flashes in camp and the preseason, with his shot continuing to be one of his best tools. Still, New York has a crowded forward group, and the organization appears to believe he can benefit from more development time.
The Islanders’ preseason ended with a 4-1 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night, a game in which Schaefer did not play. His absence was precautionary, and he is expected to be fine. Even so, the final two preseason games left New York outscored 10-2, a rough finish as the club sorts out its opening-night picture.
There are still decisions to be made, but these moves make it clear the roster is taking shape.
In Other News...
Mathew Barzals Status Just Put Islanders Fans On Opening Night Watch
Mathew Barzals status has become one of the Islanders early camp storylines, and for good reason. The center has missed the preseason after not passing his physical at the start of training camp, leaving the team to manage his recovery while keeping an eye on the start of the regular season. Even so, the setup is not as ominous as it first sounds, because the Islanders still have a path to getting him back into the lineup quickly once he is ready.
Barzal is currently designated as injured non roster because of a left knee injury, a label that keeps him off the active group for now but does not close the door on a fast return. He is eligible to play the same day he is placed on the roster, which is why opening night now feels like the date to watch. For the Islanders, the hope is straightforward: have one of their most important players ready when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Forward Group Sends A Clear Message About Opening Night
The Islanders locked in their opening-night roster before the 5 p.m. deadline, and the shape of the forward group says plenty about where things stand heading into the new season. The club officially carried 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies, with 19-year-old Victor Eklund earning a spot out of training camp and giving the lineup a fresh look right away.
Matthew Barzals status is the other part of the picture, as he is listed as Injured Non-Roster and does not count toward the 23-player limit. There is still no timeline for his return, which leaves the Islanders with a little more uncertainty in the short term even as they head into opening night with their roster set. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Enter The Season With One Debate Fans Cant Ignore
The Islanders wrapped up their preseason with a few final roster calls that helped clarify the shape of the group heading into opening night. Logan Stanley was signed, while Cole Eiserman and Kashawn Aitcheson were assigned to Hamilton, a reminder that the club is still sorting through its depth even as it moves from exhibition mode to the regular season under coach Pete DeBoer.
New York also closed the preseason with a loss to New Jersey, so the focus now shifts to how the lineup pieces fit once the games count. Bo Horvat, Ryan Pulock, Matthew Schaefer, Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and Semyon Varlamov are all expected to play key roles, but the bigger question around the Islanders remains how the roster settles after those last decisions and what it means for the tone of the season ahead. [Read more 🡒]