NY Islanders Have Major Question Mark at Key Position

What position has some major question marks for the New York Islanders right now?

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

As the New York Islanders get prepared for the start of the season, they are a team that will have a lot of lineup decisions to make in the coming months. 

Coming off a strong campaign last year, there is hope that the Islanders can be a little bit better this season and make the playoffs. While their offseason might have been uninspiring, the team does have some young talent that they will be hoping continues to improve for next year. 

There is certainly a bit of a youth movement with the Islanders right now led by Matthew Schaefer and the plan seems to be to exercise a little bit of patience while top prospects develop. 

However, as a team that also has the expectation of contending for a playoff spot, the pressure will be on some of the veterans to produce. While the blueline likely appears to be a strength of the team again, it will be the offense that dictates just how good this group can be. For New York, that starts up the middle. 

Harman Dayal of The Athletic (subscription required) recently ranked the top center duos in the league and the Islanders were ranked near the bottom of the league. 

New York Needs More Production Up the Middle 

Apr 3, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras (46) and New York Islanders fordward Mathew Barzal (13) battle for a puck during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heading into next season, one of the biggest questions for the Islanders will be what they do with their second-line center. While it will certainly be Bo Horvat as one of the top two centers for New York, who will be their second one is still up in the air. 

With a new head coach in Peter DeBoer coming in, he will be utilizing the offseason and camp to figure out his lines. The new coach of the Islanders was only with the team at the end of the year for a couple of games, and he will need more time to figure things out. 

However, one thing that he does like is the speed that Mathew Barzal can bring up the middle. Barzal is certainly going to be a player that DeBoer will be trying to get the most out of, especially with him having the potential to be a point-per game player. 

While it is Brayden Schenn who is listed as the second-line center here , if DeBoer is high on Barzal at the spot, it could be Schenn moving over to the wing. This would likely help improve their rating a little bit, but neither Barzal nor Horvat would be considered an elite center in the league.