NY Islanders Veteran Doing Exactly What Team Was Hoping For

In need of a skill upgrade, the New York Islanders are receiving it from one of their veteran forwards.

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

The New York Islanders didn’t make many changes to their roster this offseason, with the biggest change being the departure of 14-year veteran and eight-year captain Anders Lee.

He signed a three-year deal with the Utah Mammoth in free agency, and the team was seeking someone who could help replace his production in the lineup. The return of veteran Kyle Palmieri was certainly going to help, but there was one addition in free agency: Matias Maccelli.

When he signed his one-year deal, there were some people who believed that he would be a top-six option for the team. The Islanders needed an infusion of offense, and he has proven capable of providing it in the past.

“He's brought exactly what we wanted him to bring, which is speed and skill, the ability to make a play, create offense,” DeBoer said, via Tyler Millen of NHL.com. “What I've liked the most about him is he's done it in the depth of our lineup which has given us a four-line attack and four lines that have the ability to create offense which was something that was a goal we talked about in the summer that that we needed to get some offense from the depth of our lineup.”

Matias Maccelli making positive impact on Islanders

Sep 30, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Islanders forward Matias Maccelli (63) prepares to leave the ice as the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrate a 2-1 win at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Maccelli was on the All-Rookie First Team in 2022-23 with the Arizona Coyotes, finishing with 49 points, scoring 11 goals with 38 assists. The next season, he took another step forward with 57 points, recording a career-high 17 goals to go along with 40 assists.

His production fell off the next two seasons, with 18 points in 2024-25 and 39 last season, with ugly plus/minus ratios of -13 and -23. It is still early in his tenure with New York, but Maccelli is making the kind of impact the team hoped he would.

Through his first four games of the season, he has two assists with a +1 plus/minus ratio. He has been moved down in the lineup, listed as a fourth-line player alongside Casey Cizikas and Ondrej Palat, but that hasn’t stopped him from giving 100 percent on the ice.

Matias Maccelli had a three-point night in his preseason debut for the Islanders 👀 pic.twitter.com/WlACiXDdN7

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 23, 2026

DeBoer doesn’t deploy lines in a traditional way like so many other coaches, giving guys opportunities to move up when the opportunity presents itself. For example, Maccelli is still on the No. 1 power-play unit.

“Having a guy like that in the depth of our lineup, have him handle the fact that he's playing on a depth line as opposed to a top line and still coming out and playing as hard as he is and producing how he is has been really critical for any success we've had here early.”

The Islanders certainly need it, especially with Mathew Barzal still out of the lineup because of a knee injury. Not having him and Lee in the lineup in the early going is a lot of production missing. Hopefully, Maccelli can keep up this level of production.