Islanders Have An Opportunity To Make A Big Statement On Road Trip

The New York Islanders are heading out on the road for their first games outside the Eastern Time Zone this season.

It all starts Sunday against the Dallas Stars.

The game is a strangely personal one for the Islanders, as it will be the first time the team plays against Mikko Rantanen after his dirty hit ended Alexander Romanov's season last year.

It's also Islanders' Head Coach Peter DeBoer's first game against his old team. Dallas fired DeBoer following the 2025 Western Conference Finals, in which the Edmonton Oilers knocked off Dallas in five games.

Aside from the personal business, it's huge measuring stick game for the Islanders.

The Stars are a consensus top-five Stanley Cup favorite. They're one of the very best teams in the NHL, with a loaded roster.

Later on this trip, the Islanders take on Quinn Hughes and the Minnesota Wild, another Stanley Cup favorite.

Both games are on the road, with a trip to Nashville sandwiched between the two games.

Through 10 games, the Islanders are 5-3-2. They seem to have turned the corner under DeBoer, with their play consistently improving game by game.

Their odds to make the playoffs have reflected that, with New York and the Washington Capitals virtually tied in odds on Moneypuck.com for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division.

Most pundits have the Islanders in a tier below the true contenders. 

But why? 

The Islanders have the biggest pieces sorted. They've got a superstar goalie. They've got a generational defenseman.

The biggest need would be another scoring forward, sure. But they've improved their odds this much without Mathew Barzal for the entire season to date.

They'll be without Matias Maccelli and Cal Ritchie for this road trip, too.

A strong showing on the road without three regular forwards?

That would be a very strong statement indeed.