NY Islanders Understandably Receive Mediocre Offseason Grade

Should the New York Islanders have received a mediocre offseason grade?

Nov 22, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche speaks with fans at a pre-game event prior to the game against the St. Louis Blues at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders will be getting set for their preseason opener on Sunday against the New Jersey Devils. With a condensed offseason, the start of the 2026-27 campaign is right around the corner. 

Coming off a year in which they nearly made the playoffs but fell apart late, the goal for the Islanders is pretty clear. New York was able to bring in head coach Peter DeBoer right at the end of last season, and that move was made for the future. 

DeBoer has had a ton of success everywhere he has coached, and expectations will be high with him in his first season. However, while the team will be hoping to make the playoffs, they didn’t do that much this summer to improve. 

New York didn’t have a ton of cap flexibility after some questionable trades at the deadline, and that resulted in a quiet summer. However, despite not making a ton of moves, there is reason to be optimistic. 

Mike Brehm of USA Today recently graded the offseasons of every NHL team. For the Islanders, they understandably received a mediocre grade of a C. 

Fair Grade for Islanders

Apr 3, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (80) and New York Islanders forward Anders Lee (27) wait for the puck during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

New York receiving the grade of a C for their offseason is certainly a fair one. The Islanders will look mostly the same, with the major departure being Anders Lee. The long-time captain of New York signed a three-year deal with the Utah Mammoth, and the Islanders didn’t seem willing to give him a multi-year commitment. 

To help replace Lee, the Islanders did sign Matias Maccelli. This is an intriguing addition for New York and one that could work out. The talented forward is a pretty good playmaker on the outside and is excellent at setting up teammates. While losing Lee was a tough blow, the move to let him walk is an understandable one. 

Furthermore, with a need to provide some insurance for Semyon Varlamov, who is coming back from injury, the team added Vitek Vanecek. 

Overall, the lack of moves, either as departures or additions, resulting in a mediocre grade is fair. However, while the team might not have made too many moves, they are getting some key players back. 

The return of both Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov could help the team quite a bit both at forward and on the blueline. Adding these two players back into the lineup could be seen as the “additions” this summer.