NY Islanders Have One Player Who Can Turn Power Play Around

Which player on the New York Islanders can help turn the power play unit around?

Apr 9, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer speaks to the press following the team’s 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders are getting set for the upcoming season at the end of next month, and the team will be hoping to be better in a couple of key areas. 

Following a disappointing end to the campaign last year, the Islanders are a team that will have playoff expectations coming into this season, but whether or not they will be able to accomplish that remains to be seen. 

This summer, the Islanders didn’t do much in terms of making upgrades. With asking prices in trades being high for players, New York elected to keep their talented prospects and picks to hopefully continue to build lasting success for years to come. 

While the roster might look similar to last year, they will have a couple of key players coming back, and head coach Peter DeBoer will have a full camp to work on implementing his systems. 

One area that he will be really focused on trying to improve is the power play. This is a unit that has been an issue for many years for the Islanders, and DeBoer fixing it and making it at least a respectable unit would really help the team. 

While the Islanders aren’t expected to be an offensive powerhouse, they do have one of the best young defensemen in the league. When looking at ways to improve on the man-advantage, more Matthew Schaefer makes a lot of sense. 

Schaefer Can Turn Power Play Around 

Apr 9, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) reacts after scoring a goal in the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With the Islanders having one of the worst power plays in the league last year, it’s no surprise that their production on the man-advantage from an individual perspective wasn’t great either. 

On the man-advantage, it was Mathew Barzal who led the team in points with two goals and 18 assists. Barzal carries the puck quite a bit on the power play, and his being the leader by a wide margin in assists makes a ton of sense. However, it would be good to see a player of his caliber get a little bit more aggressive in looking for his shot. 

From a scoring perspective, it was Schaefer who led the team in power play goals with eight. New York not having a single player in double-digit goals wasn’t great, but their 18-year-old phenom leading them in scoring was encouraging. 

Now, with DeBoer taking over, it will be interesting to see the changes that are made for the Islanders. Schaefer being more in control of the puck in year two makes a lot of sense, and him being the quarterback of the power play could help finally fix this unit.