The New York Islanders have had a mixed opening to the 2026-27 NHL regular season, and the biggest unresolved piece of the puzzle is still waiting on the sideline.
Bo Horvat has been one of the early bright spots, picking up a point in each of the team’s first five games. Logan Stanley, brought in late after training camp, has also made an immediate impression. And in goal, Ilya Sorokin is still doing what he does best: giving the Islanders a chance every night.
But the rough spots have been impossible to ignore. Alexander Romanov’s ACL injury will keep him out for at least six months, and Mathew Barzal has yet to make his season debut because of a knee injury that cost him all of training camp.
There is at least some forward movement on that front. Barzal began skating last week as he works his way back.
Once he’s ready, though, no Islanders player has more riding on this stretch than Barzal. For all the talent that made him the 2015 first-round pick, this is the point where he has to show he can deliver as a legitimate top-six center on a full-time basis.
The skill set has never been the issue. Barzal is a high-end playmaker, with 41 or more assists in six different seasons.
What the Islanders need more from him, though, is finishing touch. The production has been strong in some areas, but the goal total has not matched the amount of puck possession and responsibility he carries.
That’s where Peter DeBoer comes in. The head coach will have to figure out how to get the best version of Barzal on the ice, and he’s already shown a willingness to shuffle combinations in search of offense and steadier scoring throughout the lineup.
Barzal’s eventual return will force some lineup decisions, and players like Simon Holmstrom, Anthony Duclair, Victor Eklund and Matias Maccelli are effectively competing for their place while he’s out.
How DeBoer deploys Barzal could also shape the rest of the roster. If the coach decides Barzal is better suited to the wing than at center, he’ll adjust accordingly.
For the Islanders, the hope is simple: if Barzal can turn his offensive game up another notch, it should raise the ceiling for the whole team.
In Other News...
Matthew Schaefers Early Islanders Role Already Looks Bigger Than Expected
Matthew Schaefers first five games with the Islanders have already looked like the kind of workload usually reserved for a much more seasoned defenseman. The 19-year-old has been leaned on heavily, logging major minutes, seeing important power-play time and showing up at the center of a lot of the teams best puck-moving stretches. Even with plenty of shifts starting in his own end, he has helped drive shot generation at 5-on-5 and has quickly made himself hard to ignore.
The early returns have also shown the growing pains that come with that kind of responsibility. Schaefer has four assists and still is looking for his first goal, while the turnover count has been a reminder that he is handling a big offensive and defensive load at once. For the Islanders, the bigger question now is not whether he belongs in the lineup, but how far theyre willing to push his role as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Lightning Saw The Islanders Edge Theyve Been Missing
After falling behind early against the Lightning, the Islanders had to find some kind of edge, and they eventually leaned into the kind of heavier, more confrontational game that has often defined them at their best. Logan Stanley, signed just before the season, was right in the middle of it, piling up four assists while bringing the kind of physical presence that can change the tone of a night.
The push got more noticeable as the game wore on, with New York turning up its forecheck and taking the contact game to Tampa Bay. Several Islanders finished with multiple hits, and Stanleys presence seemed to give the group a jolt just as the team was trying to reset after a rough opening stretch, leaving the larger question of whether this version of the Islanders can sustain that edge beyond one spirited response. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Prospect Just Made A Stronger Case To Rise Fast
Vladimir Draveck has been giving the Islanders something to monitor closely since signing his three-year, entry-level deal, and his latest outing in Guelph only added to the buzz. The winger kept building his case with a strong offensive night for the Storm, part of a high-scoring win that showed just how much he can tilt a game when he is rolling.
Draveck was not the only prospect making noise, either. Tomas Poletn and Bobby Cowan also turned in notable performances in their respective games, each contributing multiple points for their teams, a reminder that New Yorks pipeline has more than one player worth tracking as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]