Breaking Down NY Islanders Upcoming West Coast Trip

The New York Islanders will head to the West Coast to face the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks.

Nov 7, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders right wing Victor Eklund (38) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils with teammates during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders will follow Saturday night's loss against the New Jersey Devils with a three-game West Coast trip that will begin with them facing the San Jose Sharks.

New York also got encouraging news about Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli, and Ryan Pulock as they have traveled with the team, with the chance to make their returns during the trip.

The Islanders will have to try to compete against the youthful speed of San Jose, led by their young star Macklin Celebrini. Fans will be looking forward to watching their young star, Matthew Schaefer, face off against Celebrini, who currently leads his team with 21 points and 14 assists and his tied for first with seven goals.

While New York prepares to face a young Sharks team, it will be important to consider that despite their 7-11-1 record, they are a team that can play with a faster speed and with a lot more energy than most squads.

Islanders will face some challenges on road trip

Oct 22, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer coaches against the Los Angeles Kings during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After that, the Islanders will travel to Los Angeles to face the Kings for the second game of their road trip. LA is another team that has struggled to start the season, but this game could be viewed as the most important on the trip.

New York suffered a 3-2 loss against the Kings back on October 22nd and are currently on a six-game losing streak against LA, which has also won nine of the last ten matchups. The last time the Islanders won on the road against the Kings was back in February 2020, which means that they will be hoping to make history in this matchup.

New York's West Coast trip will conclude in Anaheim, where they will face Leo Carlsson and the Ducks. Anaheim will look to be the most challenging opponent on the schedule, sitting third in the Pacific Division with a record of 10-7-1.

Carlsson has gotten off to a fast start this season with 26 points, tying him for seventh in the NHL. The Islanders are 7-3 in their last ten games against Anaheim, after coming away with a win the last time they faced each other on October 20th.

Day to day but not today. Maccelli and Barzal both in red no-contact jerseys for #Isles morning skate.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) November 9, 2026

As the team is receiving some good signs from their injured players, they will still be set to face San Jose shorthanded. New York has won five straight matchups and is 8-0-4 in their last 12 games against the Sharks.

After suffering a brutal loss against the Devils and falling into a three-game skid, this road trip is providing some positive signs for a team that is desperate to get healthy and get itself back on track.