NY Islanders Star Looking Forward To Playing for Peter DeBoer

Peter DeBoer's arrival has New York Islanders players excited.

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 didn’t make very many changes to their roster this offseason, running back with mostly the same group and a few veterans who are returning from injury.

Their biggest move for the 2026-27 season actually came before the 2025-26 campaign was completed. With four games remaining and their playoff hopes all but extinguished, the Islanders made a head coaching change.

Patrick Roy was fired and replaced by Peter DeBoer, who was available after being fired by the Dallas Stars following the 2024-25 campaign after three seasons at the helm of their franchise. He finished out the final four games, which gave him some ideas of what to do now that he is entering training camp and his first full season with the franchise.

His presence is one that players are excited by, especially Mathew Barzal. The Islanders star is looking forward to playing for someone who is as accomplished as DeBoer is.

Mathew Barzal ready to play for Peter DeBoer

Mar 21, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I've had some discussions with Pete, and obviously he knows the game as good as anybody, and has a great pedigree and track record. So I'm looking forward to learning from him, and trying to take my game to the next level,” Barzal said about his new coach, via Cory Wright of NHL.com.

The talented forward is one of the players on the New York roster that people are looking forward to seeing what DeBoer does with. An excellent playmaker, will Barzal play center full-time or handle some opportunities on the wing, being asked to shoot the puck more than in recent years?

Whatever role DeBoer has for Barzal, he is going to play it to the best of his ability. The coach’s track record speaks for itself, so if he has something in mind that he believes will help the team get to another level, the players will listen.

This is the seventh NHL team that DeBoer will be the head coach of. He has reached the Stanley Cup Final twice in his career, once with the New Jersey Devils in 2012 and once with the San Jose Sharks in 2016.

In eight out of 10 trips to the postseason, his team has reached the Conference Finals. Whichever club he is on the bench for finds immediate success, and New York is hoping that trend continues with them.

Coaxing a little more offensive production out of Barzal will certainly help the cause. As will the changes to defensive structure, something he has identified as an area of improvement for a team that finished with 91 points last season.