The Islanders are giving Joey Larson more time to carve out a future in their organization.
According to a team announcement, New York has signed the forward to a two-year, two-way contract that runs through the 2027-28 season.
Larson, 25, comes from the Metro Detroit area and built his early hockey path through the Little Caesars and Compuware travel programs before moving on to Hartland High. He later spent a short stretch in the British Columbia Hockey League, then came back to the United States and played in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars and Muskegon Lumberjacks.
His college career began at Northern Michigan University, where he made an immediate impact as a freshman. In his lone season with the Wildcats, Larson scored 13 goals and finished with 27 points in 36 games, production that led him to transfer to Michigan State University.
At Michigan State, he kept putting up numbers. Over two seasons with the Spartans, Larson recorded 26 goals and 56 points in 75 games while posting a +13 rating. He then signed his entry-level deal with the Islanders after the 2024-25 season.
The jump to pro hockey has been a tougher climb. In a year and a half in the Islanders organization, Larson has produced 19 goals and 31 points in 69 games. He has settled in more as a tertiary option at the AHL level, and the source material notes that he would need a major developmental leap to put himself in position for an NHL shot.
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For now, the Islanders may simply hold the line and carry Palat through this season while they see whether his play can justify the commitment. There is at least an end point in sight, with Palat set to become a free agent next summer, so the team is not locked into this arrangement for the long haul. Still, until his value on the ice starts to look more in line with the cap number, the Islanders are going to have to work around a deal that does not fit especially cleanly. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Schaefer Already Sounds Like The Islanders Cornerstone Fans Wanted
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Schaefer also made clear he was happy for McKenna and looking ahead to their early-season meeting, which is expected to come in Toronto. For a player trying to establish himself as a cornerstone, there is something telling about the way Schaefer is already framing these moments. He is not just thinking about his own rise, but about the pressure, the spotlight and the chance to meet it head-on when the schedule brings the two together. [Read more 🡒]