2025 Off-Season

[Chris18]

Now they say Engvall will miss 2-3 weeks after having hip surgery over the summer. Did they forget about him yesterday? Or pre-determine that he's going to Bridgeport again, so they didn't bother giving an update on him. Surely they'd know he had surgery and isn't ready. Silliness.

[Chris18]

Roy puts Schaefer on with Mayfield, saying Mayfield will play a "big brother role" to Schaefer. Third pairing to start his career. That's good in a way, as he'll have limited minutes on the third pairing, but at the same time it means he's playing alongside Mayfield.

Drouin to wear #29, Nelson's old number. He liked Nelson enough that he called to ask if it was cool to wear 29 for the Isles. Nelson said absolutely. I don't think he needed to do that but it's cool that he did.

[Chris18]

Pre-season game 1. 3-2 SO loss to Philly. Palmieri with a goal & assist. 11 round shootout! Crazy. Rittich and Gahagen split time in net. I don't even know who Gahagen is. Looked him up - ECHL & AHL journeyman. Hopefully he settles in Bridgeport. Or Worcester.

Schaefer busted his ass to break up a breakaway. Roy had nothing but praise for him, saying he wants to be a difference maker, you can see it in his eyes and how refreshing that is to see. Kind of sounded like a knock on other Islanders to me but maybe I'm wrong. Doesn't sound to me like Schaefer is going back to junior.

Kashawn Aitcheson left the game after an apparent knee check by Noah Juulsen. Roy said he's day to day. Didn't look out of place before the collision, by all reports I'm reading.
Prospect Luca Romano with a nice shootout move to score. Isles could use that.
Local kid Marshall Warren scored.
Shabanov got off to a slow start but looked good by the end, even if he didn't score in the SO, which is one thing fans are really hoping he can do.


I didn't see the game. At a kid's game.

Read the other day that Butch Goring is going to greatly reduce his time on the Isles broadcasts. Doesn't want to travel much, so Hickey is going to take over color most of the time, with Butch doing home game studio work. I love it. Butch is an Islander legend but he's really not a great color guy. Doesn't like to talk a lot about the Dynasty days because he feels he'd belittle the current team in a way. While sort of true, I always wanted to hear more stories of the old days. And he constantly gets names wrong. It's kind of funny, and kind of annoying. Hickey is really smart and I wouldn't be surprised to see him get a much bigger national gig out of this, or start coaching. But I look forward to hearing more from him.

[Chris18]

Isles' goalie masks for this year: https://www.nhl.com/islanders/multimedi ... n#webpromo
Very boring. I expected the fisherman logo on Rittich & Hogberg's masks, since at least one of them should always be in Bridgeport. Hopefully Varlamov can remain healthy and keep both of them there. Rittich adding the Simpsons version of the fisherman is funny. That's about all I can bother to comment. I usually like checking out the goalie masks. These are very vanilla. Booo. I was hoping with Lou gone they'd be more creative.

[Chris18]

Aitcheson will play tonight but Roy said the best thing they can do is give him 2 games of NHL experience before sending him back to junior, so it sounds like that decision is made already.

Lineup of kids tonight vs the Devils NHL veteran squad.

[Chris18]

Heineman with a nice shot for a PP goal, Ritchie with a well placed shot for one as well. But, they lost 6-2, while being outshot like 33-9. Yikes. Not on the score, but on the shots. Lennox and Hogberg each let in 3 in half a game.

[Chris18]

Lee out 1-2 weeks with an LBI. Tsyplakov getting a maintenance day.
Assuming the timing is accurate, Lee should be ready for opening night.

Aitcheson sent back to Junior, as expected. He turned 19 the other day, so next year he'll be old enough to play in Bridgeport if he doesn't make the NYI.

Almost real hockey time!

[Chris18]

In shocking news, Duclair is out with a UBI. No really, it's kind of shocking that it's not his groin again.

Lines for tonight vs the Rangers
Heineman-Ritchie-Palmieri
MacLean-Pageau-Holmstrom
Terry-Highmore-Jefferies
Veremyev-Berg-Maggio

Pelech-Pulock
McWard/George-Boqvist
Mitchell-Day

Rittich
Hogberg

[Chris18]

Isles blow a 2-0 lead and find themselves down 4-2 in the third, then storm back with a mostly AHL lineup to beat the Rangers almost regular lineup 5-4. I don't put much stock in pre-season wins but any time they can send the MSG crowd home pissed off is a good time.

[E.L.]

Heineman sounds happy to be there. Cost of doing business, but I think the Isles got a good one in Emil. Hard shot, goes into corners. The type of middle six guy that can bring you playoff success.

[Chris18]

Heineman sounds happy to be there. Cost of doing business, but I think the Isles got a good one in Emil. Hard shot, goes into corners. The type of middle six guy that can bring you playoff success.

Fans love him so far, but this is NY and he just has to ice the puck once and his name will be shit (see Devon Toews).

Heard Dobson hurt his groin? Hope that's a BS rumor. I like him and wish him well, other than when they play each other.


Roy said Calum Ritchie is making his decision very difficult. Guess the original plan was to send him to Bridgeport, but Roy said he loves Ritchie's two-way game. Said the big thing to look for from young guys is if they try had on the D-side of the puck, and Ritchie is playing great on the D-side going up against NHL vets. If Kyle MacLean makes the roster over Ritchie I'll throw a shit fit. Nobody will care, but I'll still throw one.

Home vs the Devils tonight. I might actually get to watch it.

In Isles broadcast news- Clutterbuck and Bailey will be joining the TV broadcast team sometimes, and doing some radio too. Chris King, he of the chipmunk on helium goal call fame, was let go from the radio team, with Alan Fuering taking his place. I feel bad, as King is a huge Isles fan and put his heart into every game, but as some people are said to have a face for radio, he has a voice for newspaper. Looking forward to hearing Bailey do some analysis. He always wanted to pass but he's a smart guy. He and Hickey can teach fans a lot. Looking forward to that vs Butch just complaining about refs and getting names wrong.

[Chris18]

Tonight's lineup vs the Devils:
Drouin-Horvat-Shabanov
Duclair-Barzal-Gatcomb
Beckman-Cizikas-Highmore
Veremyev-Berg-Liukas

Romanov-DeAngelo
Schaefer-Mayfield
Warren-Bear/Pulkkinen

Sorokin
Lennox

[Chris18]

Some cuts:
Alex Jefferies, Joey Larson, Matt Maggio, Calle Odelius, Cam Thiesing, and Henrik Tikkanen have all been assigned to Bridgeport.

No surprises.

[E.L.]

Dobson is day to day but it sounds mostly precautionary.

[Chris18]

Dobson is day to day but it sounds mostly precautionary.

Glad to hear it.

[Chris18]

Biggest thing of note today- Roy, Palmieri and Duclair all have beards. Duclair is also growing his hair again.

[Chris18]

Lines in Sunday's practice:
Drouin - Horvat - Heineman
Lee - Barzal - Palmieri
Holmstrom - Pageau - Shabanov
Tsyplakov - Cizikas - Duclair
MacLean - Ritchie - Gatcomb
Highmore

Pelech - Pulock
Romanov - DeAngelo
Mayfield - Schaefer
George - Boqvist

Glad to see Lee and Tsyppy Cup skating, although they're unlikely to play vs the Rangers on Monday night. Lee said he's hoping to get in Thursday vs Philly.

Still need to cut 5 players, since they have 24 skaters and 4 goalies still in camp. Although maybe Varlamov starts on the IR or even LTIR. He's skating but not taking shots.
I'd like to see them keep Ritchie and Gatcomb as the extra forwards. Get Ritchie in for other players often, and you know someone will get hurt soon. If not, rotate him in and give guys a rest. Engvall is still recovering, but I'd say once again he's the odd man out and will be sent to Bridgeport when he returns. Probably on a conditioning stint at first, and see if someone else gets hurt or looks out of place in the bigs.
Schaefer has given them no reason to send him back to junior. I'd say George is more likely to be sent to Bridgeport especially since he's waiver exempt. Although I'd prefer to see DeBagelo waived and George take that spot. I know that won't happen, but I can dream.

Roy said he put Shabanov with Pageau and Holmstrom because they're both defensively responsible and will allow him to "be himself". In other words, dude doesn't play defense. Heineman said he was surprised to be on line 1, but said he's up for anything and knows to just be ready for the puck at any moment because Drouin and Horvat are so good at spotting/hitting open players with passes. Roy said he likes his shot so he expects a lot from him on that line. Could be a good mix. Roy also said he likes that each line has physicality. Duclair on 4th line is a little surprising, but I think they're finally trying to get away from the "4th line must kill everyone" mentality and trying to score more. So I like it. He's a bit pricey for the 4th line, but maybe they won't play like a 4th line. Tsyppy Cup can score, so maybe this will work.

Either way, we're getting closer to real hockey!

[Pokecheque]

I heard the Isles were so bound and determined not to let Matt Rempe take runs at Matthew Schaefer they literally sent their forwards up as blockers. Refs didn’t call anything but I can’t imagine they’ll let that happen in the regular season.

If I were an NHL club playing the Rangers I’d send a giant goon over the boards and have him take a run at Rempe the very moment he took the ice. Wouldn’t matter if a suspension or fine took place, that guy doesn’t do anything other than injure players. He isn’t even a very good fighter.

[Chris18]

I half paid attention to the game. Didn't notice that. Rempe is a turd.

[Chris18]

After getting beaten on the OT goal, Schaefer went into Roy's office to ask what he should have done differently on the play. I don't want to see an 18 year old kid beat himself up over a pre-season game, but I like the accountability. Roy does too.