Pete DeBoer didn’t spend his first week around the Islanders pretending the past didn’t matter. He knows exactly what Anders Lee meant to the organization, and he made that clear Thursday as the team wrapped up its final development camp on-ice sessions at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.
Lee, the former captain, left on Wednesday for Utah after signing a three-year, $16.2 million deal with the Utah Mammoth. DeBoer, who turned his attention to the roster ahead of September’s training camp, didn’t dodge the departure.
“I don’t think we can talk about that without first saying how much Anders Lee will be missed and what he did and what he’s meant to this organization,” DeBoer said. “That’s unfortunately the business of the NHL. My wish is that Anders [who turns 36 on Friday] goes on and has career years in Utah.”
It’s a familiar kind of loss for DeBoer. He was behind the Devils bench in 2012 when captain Zach Parise left for the Wild in free agency after New Jersey had reached the Stanley Cup Final, and he was with the Sharks in 2019 when captain Joe Pavelski departed for the Stars.
Still, the week wasn’t defined by what the Islanders lost. DeBoer said it also gave him a fuller look at the organization he inherited when he was hired with four games left last season.
“It was a real exciting week, for a couple of reasons,” DeBoer said. “I got to see the whole organization. I got to spend a lot of time with my new coaching staff and did a lot of planning for the upcoming season and we got to spend a lot of time with our American League staff, which is new, too.”
That new staff includes Rocky Thompson, who was promoted from the Islanders’ AHL bench and will handle the power play. Jay McKee has taken over Thompson’s former job now that the affiliate is in Hamilton, Ontario.
For the prospects trying to make noise, the message was simple: there’s a new coach watching, and he’s already taking notes. Cole Eiserman, the 20th overall pick in 2024 and entering his first full pro season, got his first real look at DeBoer this week.
“I met him once or twice, a nice-to-meet-you type of thing,” Eiserman said. “A really big presence.
He’s done a lot in the NHL. So pretty cool to meet him.”
The roster around that group has changed quickly. General manager Mathieu Darche added forward Matius Macelli, forward Mitchell Chaffee, defenseman Matt Kessel and goalie Vitek Vanecek, all on one-year deals.
David Rittich, last season’s backup goalie, remains unsigned and will not return. Max Shabanov also exited Thursday, leaving for the Wild on a one-year, $1.6 million contract.
That still leaves the Islanders with $3.4 million in space under the $104 million salary cap ceiling, and DeBoer made it clear he knows how messy that part of the job can get.
“As far as the rest of free agency, we had some great discussions about building this team,” DeBoer said. “You’re always constrained by your cap and your money situation. It’s always more complicated than it looks on a piece of paper.
“I’m sure, as a fan looking at the face of it, they’re not always easy to understand. But, trust me, behind the face value of what’s going on, there’s a ton of thought, a ton of projection. And none of those decisions are made easily.”
The Islanders’ social media team also showed DeBoer seated with Darche as Maccelli was welcomed into the organization, another sign of how involved the coach already is in the day-to-day build.
During his 15-minute media session, DeBoer also touched on a few other key pieces. He described defenseman Isaiah George, 22, as an NHL player and praised his attitude for showing up to development camp despite already having 37 NHL games on his résumé. At the same time, DeBoer said he is hesitant to move the left-handed George to the right side at this point in his development.
He did, however, mention left-handed Matthew Schaefer, the Calder Trophy winner as rookie of the year, as someone who could potentially play on his off-side. Schaefer turns 19 on Sept. 5, and that possibility could create a path for George while potentially squeezing veteran Scott Mayfield.
DeBoer also said he has not started thinking about who might replace Lee as captain, and he still plans to use Mathew Barzal at center.
With preseason shortened from six games to four, DeBoer believes veteran depth players may get fewer in-game chances because teams will want to use those exhibitions to evaluate younger prospects.
And one prospect in particular caught his attention: No. 13 overall pick defenseman Malte Gustafsson. DeBoer said Gustafsson stood out with his skating and his ability to close gaps on opponents in the defensive zone.
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