The story of the New York Islanders' season has been all about Matthew Schaefer, but perhaps that's a bit unfair to Bo Horvat, off to the best start of his Islanders' career. 

New York Islanders forward Emil Heineman has scored five goals in seven games and has scored in three consecutive games. Can he keep it going against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday?

New York Islanders prospect Victor Eklund is starting to find his game in Sweden’s top league, the SHL. In the latest game, he stood out with his energy and relentless forecheck. Skating alongside former NHLer Jacob Josefsson, Eklund looked comfortable and effective. It is a clear sign that his development is heading in the right direction. Read more at The Hockey News International.

It's hard to define just how impactful Matthew Schaefer's arrival has been to the New York Islanders. In terms of pure raw talent, they have not had a defenseman with his ceiling since Denis Potvin. 

Just look at this latest statistic about his skating speed and talent, it's absolutely mind-blowing for an 18-year-old.

The New York Islanders entered this season with high hopes about a strong forward group, anchored by strong defense while some youngsters came along.

The Islanders instead are 0-3-0, and now sophomore Russian forward Maxim Tsyplakov will be a surprising scratch tomorrow night.

Tomorrow night, the New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers square off for the first time in the 2025-26 season. That means two Erie Otter legends will square off for the first time in the NHL when Connor McDavid faces Matthew Schaefer.

McDavid raved about Schaefer to the press:

Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News released his top 100 CHL players to watch rankings, and it featured New York Islanders prospects Kashawn Aitcheson, Jacob Kvasnicka and Luca Romano.

The Islanders added one WHLer to their organization during the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. In the sixth round, New York selected Vancouver Giants goaltender Burke Hood, who became a starter this season. Overall, the Islanders have quite a few WHL alums in their organization, including Mathew Barzal, Daylan Kuefler, Ryan Pulock and Ethan Bear.