September has arrived, and with it comes the part of the calendar when the New York Islanders and the rest of the NHL get back to business. For the Islanders, that means the clock is already ticking: their season opens in 28 days, and the next four weeks will help sort out a roster battle that could shape the start of the year.
At the center of that fight is a young wave of prospects, led by Victor Eklund, trying to force their way into the lineup. Standing in their path are veterans looking to hold onto jobs, including Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall, both trying to reboot careers that have gone sideways over the last two seasons.
Duclair’s stretch was derailed by injury in the first year, then by a lack of steady opportunity under then-Head Coach Patrick Roy in the second. Engvall, meanwhile, missed the team out of training camp in 2024, later carved out a decent depth role, then saw that progress wiped out by multiple injuries that cost him the entire 2025-26 season.
The Islanders’ only offensive addition from their last game of the season to now is Matias Macelli. On the other side of the ledger, the notable departures are Anders Lee, Marc Gatcomb and Maxim Shabanov, all of whom logged plenty of games during the year.
That quiet approach looks even more deliberate when set against what happened around the division. The Rangers landed Eeli Tolvanen, a forward with strong defensive analytics who could slot in as a useful third-liner at a bargain rate, even if his game comes with obvious flaws in puck control and in how much offense he drives compared with some of his peers.
Then the Devils made a far louder move, trading for 24-year-old Luke Evangelista from the Nashville Predators in exchange for a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick. The first-round condition is only tied to which year the pick lands in, not whether it stays a first.
Evangelista brings a resume that jumps off the page: 12 goals and a career-high 56 points in 81 games with Nashville. The analytics are just as appealing, with his two-way game drawing plenty of praise. In New Jersey, he can fit anywhere in the top nine, and given how uneven the wing play has been over the last 24 months, he gives them a real chance to change that.
For the Islanders, though, that kind of swing never made sense. The price was too steep, especially for a player whose value leans more toward overall impact than goal scoring. They are not in a spot to send out two premium draft picks for that kind of bet.
Their version of the move came with Macelli, who scored 14 goals and 39 points in 71 games while putting up strong analytics on a bad Toronto team. That’s the lane they’ve chosen: keep the roster flexible, preserve space for Eklund and the rest of the youth movement, and avoid locking themselves into a guaranteed deal before camp even opens.
If the Islanders add more competition up front before training camp, it will most likely come through PTOs. That would keep the door open without blocking the younger players they want pushing hard this fall.
In Other News...
Islanders May Already Have Their Biggest Blue-Line Boost In House
Alexander Romanovs return is shaping up to be one of the Islanders most meaningful internal upgrades heading into the new season. General manager Mathieu Darche offered a positive update on the defenseman, who missed most of last year with a shoulder injury, and the early signs are encouraging. Romanov has been back in the mix for a few weeks, looks lighter, and appears to be moving well on the ice, which matters for a blue line that could use exactly that kind of boost.
For a team trying to tighten up defensively and get back to a more dependable identity, having Romanov available again changes the picture in a hurry. His health had already been a major talking point before the injury interrupted things, and now the Islanders are hoping the version they get this season can help steady the back end from the start. The only real question left is whether the progress shown this summer carries over once the games begin for real. [Read more 🡒]
Kyle Palmieri Enters Islanders Camp With One Huge Question
Kyle Palmieri is set to enter Islanders training camp with a much different kind of spotlight on him this fall. The veteran winger is expected to be fully healthy after the knee injury that ended his season in November, and his status matters because he remains one of the more established scorers on a roster trying to sort out its next look under a new coach. There is also the simple reality of where Palmieri stands in his career, with free agency looming and his place on the team no longer something the Islanders can take for granted.
What makes this camp especially interesting is that Palmieris role could shift depending on how the new staff wants to use him. He has been part of the Islanders offense for years, but the combination of health, age and contract uncertainty gives this fall a different edge. If he looks like the same player again, he could strengthen both his own market and the clubs options. If not, the Islanders may have a tougher decision ahead than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Just Added A Rising Executive Fans Should Be Watching
The Islanders have added another layer to their front office with the hiring of Evan Gold as assistant general manager, a move that fits the broader push under Mathieu Darche to modernize the clubs hockey operations. Darche has emphasized Golds unusual mix of experience in law, business and hockey, and that blend made him a natural fit for a role that goes beyond the usual day-to-day admin work.
Gold also brings a rsum that suggests he is more than a behind-the-scenes support piece, since he is already running the Hamilton Hammers in the AHL and has built a reputation as someone on the rise in executive circles. For the Islanders, the appeal is obvious: this is a hire aimed at strengthening the organization now, while also investing in a hockey mind who could become a much bigger name down the road. [Read more 🡒]