Peter DeBoer Needs To Improve NY Islanders Offensive Scheme

Improved offense would go a long way to helping the New York Islanders this season.

Apr 9, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Brayden Schenn (10) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal in the first period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Islanders overachieved for most of the 2025-26 season, finishing with 91 points in the regular season.

Alas, that wasn’t enough to qualify for the postseason in the Eastern Conference. Looking to help get the team over the hump, a coaching decision was made with four games remaining in the 2025-26 campaign.

Patrick Roy was removed from the position and replaced by Peter DeBoer. One of the most successful coaches in NHL history, the Islanders are the seventh franchise he will coach.

While a lot of attention has been given to what he will do to help the team improve defensively, with a scheme change expected to help cut down on giveaways and help goalie Ilya Sorokin, DeBoer also needs to help improve the team’s offensive production.

Islanders need to generate easier scoring opportunities

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

New York finished with a winning record despite having a negative goal differential. They were 25th with 229 goals for, struggling to consistently generate offense. But they were fifth in goals against, allowing only 236.

With most of the same lineup coming back for the 2026-27 season, development from younger players will lead to better results. Alas, most of the improvements will have to stem from DeBoer’s scheme adjustment.

One thing he needs to focus on is generating more high-danger shots for his players. Last season, the Islanders finished 28th in high-danger goals with only 109. While some of that falls upon players creating offense and getting to preferential spots, a good scheme can help players be in the right positions to create advantageous situations.

New York made up for their lack of high-danger scoring opportunities by dominating in the mid-range. They were fifth with 709 mid-range shot attempts and eighth with 86 goals. That is where a lot of their players are comfortable operating, but sacrificing a few mid-range attempts for more high-danger opportunities would assuredly lead to better goal-scoring efficiency.

Another area the Islanders lacked in was long-range scoring. Their 12 goals from that distance ranked 26th in the NHL. That is going to be a tougher situation to overcome because defenseman Ryan Pulock is the only real long-range threat the team seems to have; he registered the 14 hardest shots for the team last season.

While that may be a personnel issue, getting into high-danger areas and putting pressure on the opposing defense and goalie to have breakdowns can be solved somewhat schematically. It will be up to DeBoer to devise that plan and take advantage of the strengths that the players on his team possess.