NY Islanders' 2026-27 Team MVP Could Be a Surprise

Will the New York Islanders have a potential surprise candidate for their team MVP?

Apr 12, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) during the first period against the Montréal Canadiens at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With training camp set to get underway for the New York Islanders soon, the next couple of weeks leading into the season are going to be jam-packed for the team. 

Due to the condensed offseason schedule with two fewer preseason games than normal, the regular season is just about two weeks away now, and the Islanders have plenty of work to do. 

For Peter DeBoer, coming into his first full season with the team, he will have a lot of work to do and roster decisions to make regarding who is going to be in the NHL. Also, the lineups for the team are far from being set in stone as well. 

As the team starts to prepare for the season, they face a lot of questions that will need to be answered. Because of that, how the season might end up is still very much up in the air. Furthermore, that could result in who the MVP for the team might be being a surprise. 

Why Team MVP Could Be a Surprise

Apr 11, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) shoots the puck in the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coming into the year, there are very obvious candidates for who the best player and team MVP might be. In the net, the Islanders have one of the best goalies in the league in Ilya Sorokin. He should be considered the most likely choice based on his success last year and how he is viewed around the league. 

Furthermore, the second choice would likely be their exciting young defenseman. Heading into his second season, the sky is the limit for Schaefer, and he could very well end up being one of the best players in the entire NHL on the blueline this season. 

At forward, the two top choices would be the newest captain of the team, Bo Horvat, and also the exciting Mathew Barzal. Both of these players are very good and have been key players for the team in recent years. 

Now, when looking at players who could potentially be surprise candidates for the team MVP, the Islanders have a couple of choices. The returning Kyle Palmieri has been a 30-goal scorer for the Islanders not too long ago, and if he is healthy and can reach that mark once again, he would certainly be in the conversation. 

Furthermore, a couple of the younger options could be Simon Holmstrom or, if Victor Eklund makes the team like he is expected to. Overall, while it will likely be one of Sorokin, Schaefer, Horvat, or Barzal being the team MVP, a surprise candidate would be great for the outlook of the group.