Matias Maccelli didn’t need much convincing before deciding the Islanders were the right move.
The Finnish forward said his conversation with General Manager and EVP Mathieu Darche and Head Coach Pete DeBoer made the fit feel natural, and that led to him signing a one-year deal on July 1.
“I’ve only heard good things about the area, the fans and the organization,” Maccelli said during a phone interview on Tuesday. “We had a good conversation and I felt like it was, or it will be, a good fit for me.”
The Islanders are betting on Maccelli’s playmaking touch. He describes himself as a pass-first player, and the numbers back that up: his 118 assists are sixth among 2019 draftees.
He had 38 assists in 2022-23, then followed that with a career-high 40 assists in 2023-24 with Arizona. Last season in Toronto, he added 25 helpers.
That skill set should give the Islanders another option to feed their offense, especially with a center group that can change from night to night. Depending on the lineup, Maccelli could be working with Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Brayden Schenn, JG Pageau, Cal Ritchie or Casey Cizikas.
“There are obviously a lot of good players in the team, and I think I can add more on the offensive side,” Maccelli said. “[Darche and DeBoer] like the way I play and how I create offense. We just chatted about the opportunity I would have with the Islanders and it sounded good.”
In Other News...
Islanders Aging Core May Be Headed For A Bigger Reckoning
The Islanders are heading into the 2026-27 season with a roster that looks a lot like the one they already had, and that is the point. Aside from Anders Lee moving on and Matias Maccelli coming in, the group has barely changed, leaving New York as the sixth-oldest team in the league by average age, even before factoring in 19-year-old Victor Eklund, who is expected to push for a spot out of camp or be among the final cuts.
The bigger issue is what comes next. Ondrej Palat, Kyle Palmieri and Casey Cizikas are all set to hit unrestricted free agency next summer, Semyon Varlamov is in the same position, and the trade protection on Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield is about to loosen. With Kashawn Aitcheson also knocking on the door of a larger role, the Islanders may soon have to decide whether to keep leaning on the same core or start making harder choices about how long that core can stay intact. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Already Have One Contract Problem They Need To Fix
Ondrej Palats place on the Islanders books is one of those lingering roster issues that can quietly shape a season. New York took on his contract from the Devils last season, and while his contribution was modest, the bigger challenge now is the price tag attached to it. A $6 million cap hit is tough to move when the production has not matched it, which leaves the Islanders with a familiar kind of NHL problem: a useful enough player, but a contract that makes every decision around him more complicated.
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
Matthew Schaefer is already talking like a player who understands the weight of being watched, and that matters for the Islanders as much as any highlight-reel play. In a recent interview, the young defenseman offered Gavin McKenna a simple message about the next step in his own path: enjoy the experience, keep working hard and stay present. It was the kind of advice that comes from someone who has had to navigate his own growth and appreciates how quickly a promising career can start to feel real.
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 🡒]