The 2025-26 NHL season starts Oct. 7. Leading up to the season opener, NHL.com is identifying six things to watch for each team. Today, the New York Islanders.
Last season: 35-35-12, sixth in Metropolitan Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs
Coach: Patrick Roy (third season)
Biggest challenge
Getting special teams back on par. The Islanders were 31st (12.6 percent) on the power play last season, down from 19th (20.4 percent) in 2023-24. The penalty kill was next to last (72.2 percent) after being last (71.5 percent) the season before. Jonathan Drouin, signed to a two-year contract July 1, had 12 power-play points (three goals, nine assists) in 43 games for the Colorado Avalanche, which would have tied defenseman Noah Dobson, since traded to the Montreal Canadiens, for the Islanders lead. Assistants Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner replace John MacLean and Tommy Albelin to run the man-advantage and PK, respectively. “I think last year if our power play and our penalty kill would have been better, we would have probably made the playoffs,” Roy said Sept. 15. “We made some changes in the offseason and I’m very excited about those changes.”
How they make the playoffs
Ilya Sorokin elevating his game in his age-30 season with a full training camp after back surgery delayed his debut last season until Oct. 14. He’s entering the second of an eight-year contract after going 30-24-6 with a 2.71 goals-against average, .907 save percentage and four shutouts in 61 games (60 starts) while facing 1,695 shots on goal, third-most in the NHL behind Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers (1,751) and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning (1,716). Sorokin will have to do it playing a condensed schedule because of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in February and being backed up by David Rittich, 33, and/or Semyon Varlamov, a 37-year-old who hasn’t played since Nov. 29 because of a lower-body injury. The Islanders can contend in what might be a wide-open Metropolitan Division if a healthy Mathew Barzal can help an offense that averaged 2.71 goals per game (tied with Boston Bruins for 27th). Barzal is projected for a return to center after he was limited to 30 games last season, and none after Feb. 1, because of injuries.