Marc Gatcomb was one of the brightest stories from the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders] in 2024-25, and most fans didn’t even know who he was before the season. Gatcomb joined the Islanders on a one-year, $775,000 deal in the 2024 offseason to strengthen the forward depth for Bridgeport in the American Hockey League (AHL). When injuries began to mount on Long Island, he was emergency recalled ahead of the Islanders’ Jan. 14 game against the Ottawa Senators. Initially, this was expected to be a one-game stint, as he was promptly sent back to the AHL on Jan. 15. However, he quickly returned to the NHL lineup on Jan. 18. From there, he remained an NHL regular, playing in all 38 of the Islanders' remaining games. Gatcomb finished his first NHL season with nine points (eight goals, one assist) in those 39 games, offering a physical, high-energy winger on the fourth line. He spent 85.5% of his 5v5 ice time on the fourth line alongside Kyle MacLean, with the line’s third forward a rotation of Pierre Engvall, Maxim Tsyplakov, Matt Martin, and Hudson Fasching. From Gatcomb’s season debut through the remainder of the season, he ranked second on the Islanders in hits (149), trailing only Casey Cizikas (201). Gatcomb’s on-ice offensive and defensive data were mixed. His individual 19.5% shooting rate inflated his on-ice offensive metrics, while an underwhelming 0.882 on-ice SV% severely impacted his on-ice defensive metrics. Overall, the Islanders outperformed expected metrics with Gatcomb on the ice – something unsurprising for a team with an elite goaltender like Ilya Sorokin – but playing alongside less defensively inclined players also made an impact. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/f458db52-2fa9-4128-aabc-33e64e864702.png] Final Verdict: A- All things considered, Gatcomb’s 2024-25 season was a success. He signed his first NHL contract, joined a new franchise, and was called up midseason amid a flurry of injuries. He efficiently fulfilled his role despite limited opportunities, all while embedding energy and physicality into the Islanders' lineup. While Gatcomb was a fun story in 2024-25, he faces major uncertainty heading into 2025-26. Mathieu Darche has made clear that the Islanders' forward depth was a priority in his first offseason as general manager, and his first major move – the Noah Dobson trade – involved the acquisition of Emil Heineman, a 23-year-old winger with poise, speed, scoring talent, and physicality. Heineman is expected to join the fourth line alongside Tsyplakov and Casey Cizikas, seemingly pushing Gatcomb to a depth role. Although Gatcomb is projected to lose his consistent role from the second half of 2024-25, he still holds value as a depth option. If Patrick Roy wants to inject fresh legs into the lineup during a back-to-back, he is a strong candidate to step in. And if the injury bug strikes like it did last season, he will almost certainly get chances to prove himself and regain a regular lineup spot. It is difficult to project exactly how often Gatcomb will see the ice, but when he does, expect his physicality to remain the same. His individual shooting percentage may regress, but improved linemates could lead to a bump in assist production and more well-rounded contributions. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/00299e2b-bc1d-4218-875b-44403965a390.png] CoreNHL’s model projects Gatcomb to provide an estimated $905,000 of value in 2025-26. Stefen Rosner [https://x.com/stefen_rosner] contributed to this report.
