This was the Summer season of Change on Lengthy Island.
On and off the ice, the Islanders are reporting to coaching camp on Thursday with a wholly totally different vibe below new common supervisor Mathieu Darche.
There may be No. 1 total decide Matthew Schaefer. There may be discuss of taking part in a extra offensive sport. There will probably be followers within the coaching camp stands and beards on faces.
As soon as they hit the ice for the beginning of the common season, although, good vibes and $2.90 will purchase the Islanders a visit on the subway.
A crew that missed the playoffs final yr and hasn’t gotten previous the primary spherical since 2021 nonetheless has all the pieces to show, and the temper will evaporate rapidly if wins don’t comply with.
Listed here are among the largest questions and storylines coming into camp.
How does Schaefer look in his first coaching camp?
It’s a fait accompli that Schaefer will make the 23-man roster.
The 18-year-old has checked each field to this point, and the dearth of capacity to ship him to the AHL implies that, except he seems overwhelmed in camp, the NHL is the place Schaefer must be this yr.
It’s much less clear whether or not Schaefer will play each night time or take the Noah Dobson route of beginning out because the crew’s seventh defenseman, and it’s a query how rapidly he’ll adapt to the NHL after taking part in simply 17 video games final yr with OHL Erie.
Nearly as good as he checked out rookie camp, coaching camp will probably be his first motion towards veterans, and the primary likelihood to get a way of what his rapid influence will appear to be.
Can Maxim Shabanov be a difference-maker?
Head coach Patrick Roy raised eyebrows on Monday when he stated the plan was to start out coaching camp with Shabanov, the rookie KHL import, on the highest line with Bo Horvat and Jonathan Drouin.
Whereas ahead strains will definitely change between now and opening night time, that, mixed with Shabanov dominating rookie camp, makes him one to maintain an in depth eye on for the following few weeks.
Shabanov had 23 objectives and 44 assists with Traktor Chelyabinsk final season, and displayed a silky ability with the puck together with good velocity.
Listed at 5-foot-8, 157 kilos, it’s a query whether or not Shabanov will be capable to deal with the physicality of the NHL, however Roy sounded assured about it Monday.
How do particular groups look?
Even earlier than camp, the ability play and penalty kill have come up in almost each dialog with gamers and Roy as the one space the Islanders want to enhance upon probably the most.
Roy is planning to introduce particular groups on Day 3 of camp — far sooner than final season — and spend in depth time on it after the Islanders ranked thirty first on each the ability play and on the penalty kill final yr, serving to tank their playoff hopes.
Drouin and Shabanov might each play on the ability play, and Tony DeAngelo is prone to get one other crack at working issues from the purpose after taking up that position upon signing with the Islanders final season. New assistants Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner will probably be tasked with working the ability play and penalty kill, respectively.
Is Semyon Varlamov prepared?
When he spoke Monday, Roy wasn’t positive whether or not Varlamov — who performed simply 10 video games final season after struggling a knee damage and subsequent setback that required surgical procedure — could be on the ice for the primary day of camp, although he has began skating on his personal.
The scenario behind Ilya Sorokin, the entrenched No. 1 Islanders netminder, is an open query so long as Varlamov’s standing stays unclear. The Isles signed David Rittich throughout the offseason as a possible backup and Marcus Hogberg, who performed behind Sorokin for many of final season, remains to be round. If Varlamov can play, he’ll have to show that he can nonetheless be efficient at age 37 coming off a lot missed time.
How does the underside of the lineup shake out?
The Islanders are going into coaching camp with as a lot organizational depth as they’ve had lately, which implies the competitors for the previous couple of spots within the lineup ought to be fierce.
Max Tsyplakov and Emil Heineman might be destined for the fourth line, which might, in flip, push Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb out of the lineup, and probably to the AHL.
Prospect Cal Ritchie put forth an excellent rookie camp, and if he can push for a roster spot in coaching camp, it could create a severe dilemma for Islanders brass.
After shockingly failing to make the crew out of camp final season, Pierre Engvall goes into this one with what seems like a hill to climb.
On protection, the query is whether or not Isaiah George can break by means of and make the crew, which might probably require displacing Adam Boqvist because the seventh defenseman, or outplaying Schaefer to start out opening night time. That could be a heavy ask for the previous fourth-round decide, who impressed final yr in 33 video games after being known as up.
