NY Islanders Correctly Tumble Down NHL Power Rankings

The New York Islanders are heading in the wrong direction of the NHL power rankings.

Nov 5, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Juuso Välimäki (8) and New York Islanders center Kyle MacLean (32) are separated by an official after the end of the game at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders have done as well as they can to stay afloat given how many injuries the team has.

Heading into their game against the New Jersey Devils, they have a 7-6-2 record. They are right on the fringe of a playoff spot, which many fans will be happy about given how much talent has been out of the lineup.

However, they have also witnessed just how much work is left to do for them to become a bona fide playoff contender. In their two most recent games, the Islanders were defeated by the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 and the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, 5-3.

There were a few tough stretches that led to their defeats, but some positives as well. Head coach Peter DeBoer found a lot that he liked about his team against the Hurricanes, who compete every night even when at a talent disadvantage. However, those losses have New York heading in the wrong direction in the NHL power rankings done by Sean Gentille and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic (subscription required).

How far did Islanders drop in NHL power rankings?

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

In the previous edition, the Islanders were coming off back-to-back wins over the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild. That pushed them to No. 14 in the rankings, but they have dropped to No. 19, losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.

That was elite competition they faced off against, but it was a tough spot for the team to be in. They needed to play perfect hockey to upset either Edmonton or Carolina, on top of compensating for the players who aren’t in the lineup.

Defenseman Alexander Romanov is sidelined for the season with an ACL injury. Star forward Mathew Barzal has yet to appear in a game this season. Center Calum Ritchie and winger Matias Maccelli were both injured on Oct. 17 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Most recently, it was Ryan Pulock who went down with an upper-body injury.

That is a lot of talent for a team that was already not the strongest, on paper, to overcome. But DeBoer has made things work, with his structure giving them a strong base, and guys have stepped up, taking on more prominent roles than expected.

That paints a very positive picture for their rest-of-season outlook. Currently without two of their top six defensemen and three top-six forwards, things can only go up once their lineup starts to get healthy and full once again.

And as long as they have Matthew Schaefer on the ice, they are going to have a chance to win games.