New York Islanders, 2025/2026 review
The Islanders wrapped up the season at 43-34-5, good for 91 points, a clear step forward from recent years, but still not enough to crack the playoffs in a brutally tight Metropolitan Division. A midseason coaching change did not quite close the gap, even if a much stronger second half at least gave fans something to cling to right to the final games.
Key numbers
2025-2026 record: 43-34-5 (233 goals for, 241 against)
2025-2026 NHL standing: 6th in the Metropolitan Division
Top scorer in 2025-2026: Bo Horvat (31)
Top playmaker in 2025-2026: Mathew Barzal (53)
Top point scorer in 2025-2026: Mathew Barzal (72)
Average age of the roster (2026-2027): 29.8 years
Cap space available (2026-2027): $2.93M
Recent moves (offseason)
Arrivals:
- Matias Maccelli (F)
- Vitek Vanecek (G)
Departures:
- Maxim Shabanov (F)
- David Rittich (G)
- Anders Lee (F)
Franchise outlook
New York Islanders, future contracts and draft picks
The Islanders look very different from a year ago. New general manager Mathieu Darche, in his first season on the job, overhauled the blue line by shipping Noah Dobson out at the 2025 draft to land the pick that became Matthew Schaefer, who was instantly named rookie of the year.
On the contract front, the core is locked in. Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat are signed through 2030-31, Ilya Sorokin is tied up even longer in net, and a young defenseman like Alexander Romanov brings long-term stability with seven years left on his deal. The real shake-up came behind the bench last summer: Darche fired Patrick Roy with four games left in the season, right in the middle of the playoff race, and brought in Peter DeBoer, a coach known for defensive structure and a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
A risky call that cost them a playoff spot in the short term, but it tells you the organisation wants something built to last instead of chasing a lucky break. Add in one of the league’s best prospect pools, headlined by Schaefer, and Long Island has the tools to turn the corner quickly.
Skill and discipline
The Islanders head into the season with a core that could surprise a few people. Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat remain the driving force up front, backed by a young, gifted defense group in which Matthew Schaefer has already grabbed the spotlight after a ridiculous rookie year that ended with the Calder Trophy. In goal, Ilya Sorokin still gives them one of the strongest foundations in the league, a luxury plenty of teams above them in the standings can only dream about.
What this group has lacked for too long is defensive discipline, a flaw that cost them dearly late last season and ultimately triggered the coaching change. DeBoer arrives to fix that, bringing a system built on structure and accountability without choking the offense already in place.
The real question is whether this team, one that has teased more than it has delivered in recent years, can finally fuse its raw talent with a steady defensive identity. If it clicks, Long Island could quickly become a hard team to play against, powered by a core deeper than it has been in a long time.
Player to watch: Matthew Schaefer (D)
After a 59-point rookie season, a record for a defenseman, and a unanimous Calder Trophy win, Schaefer enters year two with massive expectations. The real test will not necessarily be repeating that scoring total, which is tough for any defenseman to match, but keeping the details sharp: decision-making, impact on a power play that was among the league’s worst last season, and handling a workload that was already huge at nearly 25 minutes a night as a teenager.
At just 19, he is already the team’s No. 1 defenseman, and his continued rise will go a long way toward deciding whether the Islanders can get back to the playoffs this season.
2026-2027 goal
Projected New York Islanders lines 2026-2027
Rather than talking up an immediate return to the playoffs, the realistic target for the Islanders is to squeeze out a few more points than last season and prove that the late surge was not a mirage. DeBoer has already dialled back expectations, admitting his group is not in the same spot as the ready-made winners he has coached in the past.
In practical terms, that means building a sturdier defensive structure, keeping Schaefer moving forward, and folding in the returns of injured players such as Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov. If they can get a little closer to the playoff picture than they did last time, that would count as progress, even if nobody is hanging a postseason guarantee on this group.
My prediction
Sadly, I think the rest of the division is stronger than the Islanders. Schaefer’s development could change that, but for me they finish last.
Photo credit: wallpapersafari.com | shellya
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