The Islanders are heading into Nashville with a lineup twist that stands out even by early-season standards.
After a rough finish in Dallas, where New York was tied 3-3 entering the third period before dropping a 6-3 decision, the club is expected to make a significant change for the second leg of its road trip against the Predators. Semyon Varlamov is slated to start in goal for the fourth time this season, following his last outing on Oct. 22 against the Los Angeles Kings.
That was his first home start in nearly two years, and the Islanders came up just short in a 3-2 overtime loss while trying to get him his first win since Nov. 14, 2024.
The bigger surprise comes in front of him.
According to Andrew Gross of Newsday, the Islanders are activating defenseman Scott Mayfield for the game, but not at the expense of another blue-liner. Instead, Matthew Kessel remains in the lineup, setting New York up to play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen against Nashville.
The move appears tied to Peter DeBoer’s frustration with the fourth line. DeBoer, via Gross, pointed to the group’s underlying numbers - specifically expected goals for and expected goals against - as the reason for the adjustment. He said the numbers need to be in the same “zip code.”
That means Kyle MacLean is the odd man out. MacLean, who had been in the lineup for the last three games after injuries sidelined center Calum Ritchie and winger Matias Maccelli, will serve as the healthy scratch. He averaged 9:32 of ice time per game during that stretch, did not record a point and had just one shot on goal.
The decision is a notable one, especially after MacLean played a season-high 10:37 in Dallas. But DeBoer is clearly looking to shake up the mix and squeeze more production out of his roster.
That task gets tougher with Ritchie, Maccelli and Mathew Barzal already unavailable. The extra skater up front will force the Islanders to redistribute minutes, and mismatched line combinations could be part of the picture throughout the night.
How the defense rotates is another subplot to watch. Matthew Schaefer and Logan Stanley appear to be the only players firmly locked into the top pairing, while the rest of the even-strength minutes may be determined by who is performing best against the Predators.
In Other News...
Matthew Schaefer Is Putting An Untouchable NHL Teen Mark In Play
Matthew Schaefer has already done enough in a brief NHL career to make the Islanders pay attention every night, and the 19-year-old keeps stacking production at a pace that is hard to ignore. He has averaged nearly a point per game so far, and with the way he is being leaned on in New York, his scoring touch is no longer just a promising start. It is becoming part of the conversation around how far he can push this season.
The bigger picture is even more striking because Schaefer is still a teenager, which keeps the door open on a mark long considered out of reach. He is still tracking toward a huge year offensively, and the ice time he is getting suggests the Islanders are willing to let him learn on the fly while he drives play. If that usage continues, the chase could get very real before his next birthday. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Patience With Maxim Shabanov Looks Worse By The Week
Maxim Shabanov arrived on Long Island in 2025 with the kind of rsum that tends to buy a player a little patience. After a strong KHL season, the Russian winger was brought in to see whether his skill could translate to the NHL, but the Islanders never got much return on that bet during his rookie year. For a team that has spent years looking for offense wherever it can find it, the decision to move on from a player with upside already looked like a gamble.
Mathieu Darche made the call not to extend a qualifying offer, and Shabanov left to sign a one-year deal with the Minnesota Wild. Early in his new stop, he has looked far more comfortable than he ever did in the Islanders organization, and that is only sharpening the frustration around the original decision. With Shabanov producing right away elsewhere, the Islanders are left to wonder whether they were too quick to let a gifted scorer get away before he ever had a real chance to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Shake Up Lineup Again As Road Trip Pressure Builds
The Islanders are trying to steady things as they close out a three-game road trip against the Minnesota Wild, and head coach Peter DeBoer has turned to another lineup tweak in search of a cleaner look. Kyle MacLean is back after sitting out one game, giving the club a bit more balance up front as it tries to manage the wear and tear of the trip.
Matthew Kessel is the healthy scratch, and the move lets New York return to a 12-forward, 6-defensemen alignment with Ilya Sorokin set to start in goal. For a team still looking for the right mix on the road, the changes are less about a single player than about finding a structure that can hold up under pressure in a game the Islanders could use to settle in. [Read more 🡒]