Inside look at New York Islanders

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders still are figuring out how to get to where they believe they can go.

This is Season 2 with general manager Mathieu Darche and defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. But the end of Season 1 left a bad taste: 4-10-0 after March 19, including a 1-7-0 finish that cost coach Patrick Roy his job and the Islanders a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Their biggest move came before the end of the season, hiring Peter DeBoer as coach April 5 with four games remaining. The roster in place to start 2026-27 will be challenged to go past their breaking point.

"The players, I want to tell them it's not what you're capable of doing, it's what you're willing to do to win," Darche said. "We have a lot of players that are capable of all things, but what's everyone willing to do to be able to win?"

The Carolina Hurricanes were willing and won the Stanley Cup. They play in the Metropolitan Division, where the Islanders finished sixth. DeBoer is their third coach since Barry Trotz departed after the 2021-22 season. DeBoer guided the New Jersey Devils (2012) and San Jose Sharks (2016) to the Stanley Cup Final, each in his first season after those teams had missed the playoffs the prior season. Then after being hired by the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 15, 2020, he took them to the Western Conference Final.

The Islanders are counting on that kind of instant impact.

"I think we all believe that we have the group in there to be a playoff team and go far in the playoffs," center Bo Horvat said. "I think Pete's going to be very good for us structure-wise and kind of laying the foundation.

"The buy-in from everybody's just got to be there."

The cornerstone is Schaefer, voted the unanimous winner of the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year last season. His 23 goals made him the first defenseman in more than 90 years to lead rookies in goals (tied or outright). He has a bond with the fans that co-owner Jon Ledecky said, "buys into the notion that the Islanders are a community trust."

Schaefer turns 19 on Sept. 5. He is a candidate to become Islanders captain after Anders Lee, captain the previous eight seasons, signed a three-year contract with the Utah Mammoth on July 1.

"There's no doubt in my mind that he's going to be the captain of that team in the very near future," said Horvat, a Vancouver Canucks captain from 2019-23. "Even if it's not right away, sometime in the future with how good of a person he is, and just how much Long Island loves him, and how much they need him as well."

Ryan Pulock, Schaefer's partner on the top defense pair, had shoulder surgery in early May after playing through shoulder and knee injuries yet still led the Islanders with 148 blocked shots in 76 games that left him, according to Darche, "hanging by a thread." The position should further be strengthened with Alexander Romanov recovered from shoulder surgery that sidelined him after Nov. 18. Ilya Sorokin led the NHL in shutouts (seven), high-danger saves (452) and high-danger save percentage (.864) in 55 games, and was runner-up to Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the top goalie in the NHL.

Matias Maccelli, who signed a one-year contract July 1, and Kyle Palmieri, coming off a torn ACL sustained Nov. 28, are expected to fortify the bottom six with Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas, an Islanders lifer entering his 16th season. Joining them could be top prospect Victor Eklund, a first-round pick (No. 16) in the 2025 draft who turns 20 on Oct. 3. He had an assist in NHL debut April 14.

"His play will show us," Darche said.

The Islanders remain bothered that they went home early after being in playoff position as late as April 4.

"We're (ticked) off," forward Mathew Barzal said April 15. "So if there's any positive, it's that you can tell that we care in this room."

The question is whether they'll pay the price for a season that has been extended to 84 games.

"I've been around enough teams, and I've been around a successful team in Tampa," said Darche, a two-time Cup champion (2020, 2021) as Lightning assistant GM. "It's, what are you willing to do to help the team win? And that's going to determine how well we do."