Key Unit Must Be Better for NY Islanders Next Season

Will the New York Islanders be able to turn a weakness from last year into a strength?

Apr 11, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer speaks to the media after their game against the Ottawa Senators at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the start of the regular season still a couple of months away, the New York Islanders will be able to reflect on what was mostly a quiet offseason. However, this is a team that will have some big expectations heading into next year. 

Coming off a campaign in which they just missed the playoffs, the Islanders will be in a good position to contend for a spot once again. Even though the offseason has been a disappointment, this is a team with some good talent. 

Furthermore, as they hope some young players develop next season, they are expecting to be in the mix for a playoff spot. However, in order for that to happen, they are going to need to be much better in a key area. 

Power Play Must Be Better

Apr 4, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) goes out onto the ice for the warmups before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s been no secret over the last few years that the power play unit for the Islanders is one that has not been great. Scoring has been a bit of an issue for the team at times, even during their successful playoff runs.

However, with Peter DeBoer now coming in, he is going to be focused on fixing something that should be better. In the past, the Islanders have frequently over-passed on the man-advantage, seeking the perfect shot rather than taking a good one. 

That is a relatively easy fix and one that DeBoer and the coaching staff can implement early on. 

Considering the Islanders ranked 30th on the power play last year, it is pretty amazing that they were able to do as well as they did. Surprisingly, it was the Philadelphia Flyers who had the worst percentage, and that actually made the playoffs. 

When looking at how the power play will be running next season, it should be the Matthew Schaefer show now. While Mathew Barzal has been asked to do a lot on the power play in recent years, having a player at the point like Schaefer will make things easier for the team. 

As a rookie, he totaled 18 points on the power play with eight goals and 10 assists. In year two, the assist number should be going up, but the Islanders would have no problem if he led the team in power play goals once again. 

Furthermore, while Schaefer will have more responsibilities for the unit, Barzal being better on the man-advantage will be key. He totaled just two power play goals last year, which was less than Anthony Duclair in 20 more games. 

The Islanders certainly have the capability to be at least a middle-of-the-road power play unit, but it will be DeBoer tasked with trying to make it work.