2026 off-season

[Chris18]

Might as well start this thread.

Impending FAs

UFA
Forwards
Lee. I'd like to see him back on a team friendly deal. 922 regular season games with the Isles. Love to see him hit 1000 with them and maybe retire an Islander. But only if it's in accordance with him being on the 3rd line. If he leaves, Horvat should get the C and when he retires or otherwise leaves, it goes to Schaefer.

Defense
D'Angelo- he's been better (offensively) than I expected, but certainly replaceable. Still hate him as a person.
Soucy- Bye Felicia.

Goalie
Rittich- Had a great stretch and then sucked dog balls later on. Consistency has always been his problem, and he seems to do well one year and suck the next. This was the "good" year so don't bring him back.
Hogberg- Not an NHL goalie, especially as a regular backup. He's good for Bridgeport/3rd stringer.

RFAs
Forwards
Shabanov- Use him correctly and he'll help more. I don't think they put him into a shootout once and that was supposedly one of the reasons they brought him in.
Gatcomb- Fine for a 4th liner/13th F.
Foudy- I'd like to see him get a real shot at making the team, but not if they'd stick him on the 4th line. He's more skilled than that. Third line? Sure.

Defense
Boqvist- dude should be a winger. Decent in O-zone but horrible in the d-zone. Like a poor man's Q'Anongelo, and that means very poor.

Goalie
Tikkanen- he's been pretty good in Bridgeport.
Lennox- he has not been good in Bridgeport.

They've got some other depth F & D players. None really of consequence. Maybe keep Ethan Bear around as a potential callup or 7th.


My main hope for the off-season is that DeBoer either brings in his own special teams coaches or otherwise fixes the PP, which has been a donkey show for years. The timing of the sling shot sucks. They end up with 4 stationary players when Barzal hits the blueline, plus the opposing PKers, leaving very little room for him to get through on a clean zone entry. When DeBoer took over they had a few times where they threw it up to the headman and created rushes like a PP should. I nearly fell off the couch. Hoping they mix that in more often. With an average PP they'd be in the playoffs now instead of cleaning out their lockers.

Hoping they get good luck in the draft again, although I feel getting Schaefer, Eklund and Aitcheson last year will use up their good luck for a few drafts.

[Chris18]

Darche gets off to a quick start, signing Quinn Finley to his ELC right after Wisconsin loses in the Finals. If he'd gone another year he'd have been a loophole UFA.
Darche also said Prokhorov is "on his way over". Not sure if that means he's coming over to sign in the near future, is literally on his way to play with Bridgeport in the playoffs, or will be coming over the summer. Nice job getting clarification "reporters".

Cal Ritchie and others eligible (Eklund, George) heading down to Bridgeport for the remainder of the season and playoffs. It has to suck to be one of the guys who helps an AHL team all season long to make the playoffs and then have some young NHLer show up and take your spot. I guess that's the role, but it sucks.

Varlamov and his new bionic knees were sent to Bridgeport for a conditioning stint. He can play a max of three games. He's starting tonight vs Hartford, who are last in their division and no threat to the B-Isles. I guess Bridgeport is hoping he's in good shape and want the #4 seed for home ice vs Hershey or they think he's going to shit the bed and it should be against the last place team so they can bail him out.

Go Bridgeport! Actually, no, please don't go! Go win, sure, but don't leave. I'm going to try to make a playoff game.

[Chris18]

Darche says he and Lee agree they want him to play his 1000th in an Isles uniform. Darche said they're trying to find common ground, but he's always looking for ways to make the team better. Kind of sounds like "team very friendly deal or goodbye".

Barzal and Ritchie said after discussions with DeBoer, they will be centers next year. Interesting conundrum because they have Horvat (1C), Barzal (2C?), Ritchie (3C?), Pageau (4C?), Cizikas (4LW?), Schenn (2-3LW)... It's nice to have options and center depth, I guess.

[Chris18]

Assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers let go. To be expected given Desrosiers‘ close relationship with Roy.
Not that I like seeing anyone lose their job, but I wouldn't mind seeing Bennett go next. The PP was horrible, once again. With even an average PP they would have made the playoffs. But no. Once again, it sucked dog balls.

[Chris18]

Holmstrom & Assman to play in the World Cup.

Schaefer and Eklund won't. Schaefer declined, saying he wants to rest up for next year. I concur.

[Chris18]

Barzal is in for Canada. Wish he wouldn't.

Bettman said the Isles will host the next All Star game. Yay?

Expected, but Varlamov, Romanov and Palmieriov are progressing as expected and should be ready to go for training camp. Who knows if they'll be themselves though. So the Isles will "add" a backup goalie, top 4 (?) d-man and top 6 forward over the summer. Again, yay?

[Chris18]

Sorokin is the one Vezina finalist with no chance at winning it. Nor does he deserve it. He was very good but not that great. He said he's not even thinking about the Award since they didn't make the playoffs. I like it.

Aitcheson named OHL D-man of the year.

No worries about them bringing back Hogberg as Sorokin's backup. He signed a 3 year deal in Sweden.

[Chris18]

Friedman says DeBoer has interest in bringing Misha Donskov, who he had worked with in Dallas. Donskov is currently working for Hockey Canada.

[Chris18]

Isles say Rocky Thompson will move from AHL affiliate HC to NYI AC. He has worked with Boughner and DeBoer before. Not sure if he replaces DeRosiers or Bennett, who is still there, but the PP was stir fried dog shit, so he may be on his way out.

In "no shit" news, Schaefer is a Calder finalist.

[Chris18]

Pulock with shoulder surgery. He didn't look like himself for a while there. Just a mystery why they waited until like a month after being eliminated to do it.

[Chris18]

Isles prospect Danny "don't confuse me with Brock" Nelson hasn't signed yet, partially because he says he's returning to Notre Dame, where he intends to play alongside two of his brothers. So the Isles invited his older brother, Henry, to development camp.

That's about it. Probably a good thing to not have news, because if there was it would be like Lee re-signing for 5 years at $6M/AAV.

[Chris18]

Isles terminate ECHL affiliation with the Worcester Railers (about 3 hours away in Mass), in favor of new affiliate, the Trenton Ironhawks. Gives fans access to seeing some prospects in person with the AHL affiliate moving to Hamilton. Even if they're low level prospects...

[Chris18]

AC Ray Bennett fired. New PP coach TBA. Yayyyy!

[Chris18]

Darche told Lee he's interested in bringing him back, but has a few other moves he has to make first. I'd like to see Lee come back on a team friendly deal. Hopefully that can be worked out. Nothing near the $7M he's making now.


DeBoer said he wouldn't be surprised to have Liam Foudy make the team out of camp next summer. Foudy just signed a 1 year, 2 way deal. He's one of those fringe players who looks good every pre-season, but winds up in the A. Bridge, errr, Hamilton can certainly use his scoring, but I would like to see Foudy over MacLean any day.

Hopefully they can figure out a way to move Palat and his $6M last year. Brutal. This team needs more Schaefer, Ritchie and Eklund contracts. Less Schenn, Palat and Duclair contracts. That's an expensive, old and unproductive line and the frustrating thing is- Darche brought in two of those guys. I thought Schenn just had a year left. He's got 2 left. Ug. He wasn't terrible, but he's not worth $6.5M.

Four more years paying DiPietro. At least he doesn't count against the cap.

[Pokecheque]

Isles prospect wins the Blorbo!

https://bsky.app/profile/offsidenewsco. ... 6ujbvp2c25

[Chris18]

I had to look up what blorbo means.
Fans are penciling him in for a spot on the NYI next year. Not sure he's totally ready, but he seems to have the offensive ability of Q'Angelo and the hitting ability of Soucy (while being more mobile), so we'll see if the mental game is there. Would sure be nice for the Isles to hit on a few prospects for once.

[Chris18]

Bruce Garrioch reporting that the Isles are shopping Barzal. He's got a 22 team no-trade list, so that's pretty limiting off the bat. Supposedly the Mammoth inquired last summer but the deal never materialized.

If Darche's idea to clear cap space is trading Barzal, after he traded to GET Palat and Schenn, I'll lose my shit. Plus Barzal and Schaefer are the dynamic duo in OT. Barzal needs a legit sniper to play on his line and he'd have 100 points. He's probably never going to top 25 goals, but that's fine.

I have a feeling this is complete bullshit, or more like someone else called Darche to see what it would take to get him and Garrioch is looking for clicks.

But for me, it would take one hell of a haul to move Barzal. There are like 21 other guys I'd like to see traded before Barzal. To me, the 3 guys you don't trade are Sorokin, Schaefer and Barzal.

[Logical Progression]

Maybe he'd go to Montreal.

[E.L.]

I just don’t think it’s realistic to move someone on a long-term deal like that unless you really don’t want them. At which you’re moving them for less than they’re worth.

[Pokecheque]

Moving a guy who’s arguably the one pure skill forward on the roster seems very counterproductive, inconsistent and problematic as he can be at times.