News Islanders Team Notes

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Tsyplakov files for arbitration

Rocky The Other Thompson | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Also: Rocky Thompson on Brent and Bridgeport.

There is a little more offseason business for the Islanders to do as one of their RFAs, Maxim Tsyplakov, was among 11 NHLers filing for arbitration.

That’s not too crazy — there are far more intriguing arbitration cases with players like Lukas Dostal and Kaapo Kakko — but it does put an endpoint on the negotiation window, as the sides will either reach an agreement or get one handed to them after the arbitration hearing window, which runs July 20 - Aug. 4.

Tysplakov is coming off his ELC ($950k cap hit) as a KHL import at age 26, so arbitration will give him a one-year deal with a new benchmark price after a so-so 10-goal rookie season. The Isles have a little over $3.9 million left in projected cap space with 22 of 23 spots filled, per PuckPedia, though that includes David Rittich in goal and Semyon Varlamov on IR, with a difference of $1.75 million in their cap hit).

Potential callups/replacements who aren’t in that 23 (e.g. Calum Ritchie, Matthew Schaefer when he signs) all have ELC-level rates, so that’s a fair picture of where they are, barring more summer intrigue and given Varlamov’s health is a question mark..

Islanders News​

• So yes, Tsyplakov filed for arbitration. [Post]
• In a rather angst-free season finale of Islanders Anxiety, Dan and Mike discuss the last week of intrigue and how things are just kind of cool right now. [LHH]
• We linked the raw video the other day, but here’s the official site write-up of Rocky Thompson’s media availability. He stressed building relationships with the players who will soon or one day be under his charge in the AHL, and his longtime friendship with mentor Brent Thompson. [Isles] And here’s Newsday version. [Newsday]
• Can Matthew Schaefer make the opening night lineup? [Newsday]
• That question, of course has a bearing on Isaiah George’s chances. [Post+]

Elsewhere​

• Here are all of the league’s arbitration filers. [NHL]
• Lars Ehlers took extra time and made lots of calls to feel like Carolina was the right fit. [NHL] It was an “emotional” departure from Winnipeg for him. [Sportsnet]
• At the other end of the spectrum, Jonathan “The Other” Toews “knew in [his] heart that coming home to Winnipeg was the right fit. [NHL | Sportsnet]
• J.J. Peterka is excited to escape Buffalo and take on a new role in Utah. [NHL]
• Apparently James van Riemsdyk is still playing, now signing with the Red Wings. [NHL]
• Try to excite yourself for the 10 top UFAs still on the market. [Sportsnet]
• R.I.P. Lyndon Byers, longtime Bruin of the ‘80s. [NHL]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...ers-news-tsyplakov-arbitration-rocky-thompson

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders & NHL News: CBA sealed, Edmonton gets Howard, prospects jump to NCAA

Just cut the penalties, okay? | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Also: Gatcomb gets a one-way deal, leaving Tsyplakov as the only arbitration filer.

While the new NHL CBA (now freshly ratified) that takes effect in 2026-27 mostly maintains the status quo but with several improvements here and there (plus a longer regular season), the world of “amateur” hockey continues to churn.

As Canadian junior players make the jump to the NCAA that was not previously available to them before U.S. courts cut the college “student-athlete” charade, a top NCAA player has changed his mind and jumped to the NHL via a trade to the back-to-back Stanley Cup finalists.

Islanders News​

• Will Marc Gatcomb be on the opening night roster? He and the Isles avoided arbitration and he got a one-way deal, but with the competition in camp he could still end up in a “first callup” role. [Post]
• That leaves Max Tsyplakov as the only Isles arbitration filing. His qualifying offer was basically for the minimum, so they have time to work out a better raise or see what an arbitrator makes of his rookie season. [THN]

NHL News​

Isaac Howard, the Hobey Baker Award winner, was traded from the Lightning to the Oilers, with whom he immediately signed an ELC. The Michigan State scorer — who previously transferred from Minnesota-Duluth in the NCAA’s new transfer portal world — had said he wanted to stay at Michigan State to continue the championship chase. Maybe the chance to be a missing piece on a Stanley Cup finalist swayed him otherwise. There were no stories last night shedding light on this process, other than the Lightning acquiring prospect Sam O’Reilly in exchange. [NHL]

• The NHL and NHLPA officially ratified the 4-year CBA extension. They’ll post the full doc later, though most of the key details have already been shared. [NHL]
• Next year’s projected 1st overall pick Gavin McKenna has left the WHL to jump to NCAA Penn State. (For the education, I’m sure. And six figures in NIL money.) Will others join him? [Sportsnet]
• The Canadiens have done a lot, but they still have a hole at 2C like so many teams. [Sportsnet]
• Grading every team’s offseason. [ESPN]
• Evgeny Kuznetsov wants to come back to the NHL, his agent promises he won’t cost as much this time. Duh. [TSN]
• The Avalanche have hired Dave Hakstol as an assistant coach. [TSN]
• Evidently Jeff Tambellini played for the Lightning? He replaces Mathieu Darche as assistant GM there, his “third stint” with the franchise. [Lightning]
• Tyler Johnson, once part of the Lightning reign that is now fading, has retired. [NHL]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...d-edmonton-gets-howard-prospects-jump-to-ncaa

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: The quiet and the Dobson; Drouin and our Beau lobbyist

Not a Johnson, but also not... | Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

A fascinating trade because the main piece has high potential yet is so uninspiring.

We’ve entered the second-quietest part of the NHL calendar, with the biggest names — to the extent there were any “big” ones — off the UFA market and only the arbitration hearing calendar to keep the usual Canadian professional liars from tossing their phones in the lake at the ol’ cottage.

The Islanders do have Max Tsyplakov on the arbitration docket, so there’s that to look out for, but the chances of that going too off-market or turning into a Tommy Salo situation are slim.

Meanwhile, the biggest Isles move of the summer continues to intrigue will be a fascinating one for the next several years. The team that gets the best player usually “wins” a trade, but in the case of Noah Dobson, there is a cap allocation consideration as well as the unknown futures of the two players they drafted (plus Emil Heineman, we need to somehow factor in his potential contribution even if it will never match Dobson’s).

Interestingly, it’s one of those futures-for-present moves that is getting praise for both sides, though certainly more of that is going to the Canadiens. The “what the hell is this guy anyway?” wild card of Dobson at 25 is what makes it intriguing. If he’s going to be the massive star some are making him out to be, then the trade is a huge win for the Habs, hands down. And yet...while “defensemen take longer to develop” and all that, the truly great ones have shown their potential before 25.

The Athletic actually had a nice breakdown of how things look, and while it gave the typical “if you have a chance to get a guy like this, you take it” angle on the Canadiens, it also conceded the warts in Dobson’s game that have made some of us okay with this deal:

Defensemen get caught flat-footed and puck-watching all the time. Mistakes are bound to happen in a high-paced league filled with scoring threats. However, the number of errors from Dobson was concerning last year, especially for someone asking for such a sizable raise. Technically, he was on the ice for fewer shots and expected goals against at five-on-five this past year, compared to 2023-24. But his fingerprints were on more goals against, which made his errors all the more glaring.

I really don’t know if Dobson will ever figure it out to be a true all-world, two-way guy that Team Canada says has to be on their blueline, but I think the chances are pretty low that the Habs ever deeply regret this trade. With the cap rising, at minimum Dobson should be a flawed but still productive offensive blueliner.

I know Alex Pietrangelo had warts in his game at 21, 22, 23, but he also was farther on the star curve and more competent in his own end (and the PK) than Dobson well before 25. Pietrangelo would not have had Butch Goring diplomatically scratching his head on a weekly basis as he seemed to about “the Dobber.”

Drew Doughty is of course an unfair standard, but he basically arrived at 19 being mocked about his weight and then immediately showed he was a force before he hit age 20. Point being, the truly great ones identify themselves well before 25. They take over games and inspire you with thoughts of “Damn, we could win a CUP with this guy.”

Dobson is somewhere short of that.

At the other end of the high-potential/hype, low hockey-IQ spectrum are the American Johnsons, Erik and Jack (no relation, other than the frustration they exacted on fans). They had skills, yes they did. They had hype, that, too. They had long careers even. But never, ever did they instill the confidence that they could be a #1 on a contender, except among certain GMs who ended up not contending.

Dobson is somewhere above that. But for me these examples help contextualize the decision the Isles’ new regime faced coming in.

Until this year’s trade deadline, I always assumed Dobson would be a long-term Islander, though I did worry he would ultimately be in the bottom tier of the league’s #1 defensemen. As if other teams would say, “Oh, he’s your top guy? That’s swell, but I’m definitely not jealous.”

For that reason, the Isles trading Dobson instead of breaking the bank for him — the Habs GM claims he took less to go to Montreal — follows a certain logic.

However, then there’s also the other variables that will always be there for this asset allocation decision, and the ripple of what Lou left us: With a rising cap that should have allowed a splurge, the Isles only forced themselves into a tough choice among Dobson and Alex Romanov because they have Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield all signed for combined AAV of $15.4 million through the next four years (and for Pulock and Mayfield, five).

That’s not a ton for your top four in the projected 2025-2028 cap world if they’re truly top four, but each of these guys is showing mileage that affirms it’s not 2020 anymore.

Not Only, But Also​

• This Isles fan visited every NHL arena, but the real takeaway here is calling Toronto’s Whatever-bank/tire Cent(e)r(e) “the MSG of Canada.” [Post]
• Rumored to be in their final season, Bridgeport announces “Sound Tiger” Saturdays. [THN]
• Anthony Beauvillier may be a rival now, but he’s still pumping Long Island’s tires as an unofficial ambassador to guys like Jonathan Drouin:

#Isles Forward Jonathan Drouin talked on #NHLTonight on @NHLNetwork about heading to Long Island! pic.twitter.com/L4kMUj0qFi

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 10, 2025​

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/2025/7/12/24466184/islanders-news-dobson-drouin-beauvillier

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Prospect props, Halak retires, Clutterbuck trains

Once upon a time, in a career far, far away | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

We spend the slow month looking at prospects.

Sorry for the silence over this past week, though there’s been little Islanders news to relay/discuss. I’ve been in Maine hiking and Maine-ing with extended family and generally having a great time away from regular responsibilities.

Islanders News​

• The regular season schedule is out; individual tickets are on sale July 22. [Isles]
• Cal Clutterbuck goes to broadcast camp. [NHL]\
• And he’s having fun with his new on-camera roles, including the bit releasing the Isles’ 2025-26 schedule. [THN]
• That schedule can be found here, of course. [Isles]
• And some things to note include an Oct. 11 opener and the return to 7:00 default start times. [Isles]
• Various former coaches talk about what separates Cole Eiserman. [Post]
• Ol’ friend Jaroslav Halak officially retires. Will there ever be another 5’11” goalie? [NHL | Newsday] He has to settle with “not reaching 300 wins,” even though his 295 regular season wins are quite a lot and his playoff wins would take him well past that arbitrary mark that sounds good in our culture’s base-10 counting system. [TSN]
• Get to know fresh pick Jacob Kvasnicka. [Isles]
• And fellow draftee Victor Eklund has signed his ELC. [Isles]
• Fellow draftee Tomas Poletin was actually drafted twice in one week. [Isles]
• Island Ice podcast: Offseason recap with Andrew Gross and Colin Stephenson. [SoundCloud]
• Former Isles assistant Gerard Gallant is evidently headed to the KHL. [Post]

Elsewhere​

• The Jets signed Gabriel Vilardi to sined a six-year, $45 million contract ($7.5 million cap hit) deal. [NHL]
• After finally dealing John Gibson, the Ducks extended Lukas Dostal for rive years. [NHL]
• The Canucks dealt Dakota Joshua to the Leafs for a fourth. [NHL] Here’s why they did it, maybe. [Sportsnet]
• Some Russian Blue Jacket has requested a trade, Google Translate suspects. [Sportsnet]
• One-time hot junior prospect Joe Velano has signed a one-year deal with the Habs. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...aroslav-halak-cal-clutterbuck-eklund-eiserman

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders Muse: On Tsyplakov, Barzal’s position, Martin’s role

Tell me all your thoughts on wing. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Not “news” exactly, but things to muse about

It has been a slow mid-July for the NHL and my LHH productivity reflects that. What passes for news is “some guy said this about some guy” and “hey, we’re going to move your LHH cheese again but it’ll taste great, we swear.”

The next signpost up ahead is Max Tsyplakov’s arbitration hearing date on July 29, though it’s surely even odds that he and the team reach a contract agreement before then.

But we owe ourselves fresh threads! This is a fresh thread. Some things to muse upon:

• Matt Martin talked about his new role, the Noah Dobson trade, his time with the Leafs and other stuffs with two podcast co-hosts I find difficult to listen to. #sendmethetranscript Probably worth your while though. (I won’t keep harping on this, but it’s a new era when others in the org are allowed to do interviews.) [YouTube]
• Speaking of new eras, new opportunities for season ticket holders like attending select practices, open skates, etc. [Newsday]
• An evergreen discussion that will have new chapters this year, or at least during training camp: Mat Barzal’s ideal position. Thomas Hickey says it’s on the wing. [THN]
• Hitmeister-turned-broadcaster Cal Clutterbuck is “competing” in the NY State Open. [NHL]
• Are you an entertainer? Can you hype? Apply with the Isles. [Isles]

Elsewhere​

• Nothing really happening elsewhere. But here’s the offseason rewind on the Kraken, now helmed by Lane Lambert: “We’ll be strong structurally, but we will also create offense, and we’ll play fast, we’ll be aggressive, we’ll be at the net in the offensive zone, we’ll shoot pucks.” Prove it! [NHL]
• And here’s Stan Fischler on the Panthers’ hope of becoming a dynasty. They would be the first — despite all the dynasty interruptus impostors — since the 1980-83 Islanders. [NHL]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...s-max-tsyplakov-barzals-position-martins-role

 

[New York Islanders]

A new look coming for Lighthouse Hockey in August

Our coverage remains the same but with a new look

In just a couple of weeks, Lighthouse Hockey is switching to a new platform as part of SB Nation’s network-wide move to a new publishing platform. This will change the look of the site and also make it faster and more reliable on any device you use. This is an upgrade.

When you land on the site, it will look cleaner – less clunky, with more white space, a better ad experience with faster load times – but will still have all the usual articles, analysis, and news by all the folks you know.

Community discussion and content created by you will be more prominent in the new design. The best comment threads will be easy to find, and staff and commenters alike will be able to start conversations whenever they like with a brand new tool.

We’re planning on an early August reveal, so we wanted to give you a heads up. You’ll hear more from us when it’s almost here. The site will look a little different, feel a little faster, and, most importantly, have a bigger role for you, the community.

So, stick around and check it out!

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...w-look-coming-for-lighthouse-hockey-in-august

 

[New York Islanders]

Max Tsyplakov signs for two years with Islanders

Max have puck. | Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

No arbitration, no suspense.

The New York Islanders announced a two-year extension with Max Tsyplakov, avoiding an arbitration hearing and locking him up at a very reasonable rate.

Before the team could get the announcement out Friday afternoon, Elliotte Friedman cottage-tweeted the cap hit of $2.25 million:

NYI and Maxim Tsyplakov avoid arbitration

2 x $2.25M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 25, 2025​

Tsyplakov was one of 11 NHLers to file for arbitration this summer, though these days most reach an agreement before their hearing, which for him would’ve come July 29. A one-year deal would’ve walked the KHL import to UFA, so this provides some nice flexibility for the Isles as Tsyplakov continues to establish his NHL profile in his age 27 season.

He’s coming off a one-year ELC that had a $950,000 cap hit. With 10 goals and 25 points and 14-15 minutes of ice time per game, he didn’t wow during his rookie year but he showed flashes. Some of his underlying numbers hint at an effective and intermittently productive NHL regular, especially if he can avoid taking minor penalties.

This salary sounds about right for where he is and what his usage may be. There will be competition for the kind of top-six wing spots that would allow him to outperform this contract on his way to a bigger payday in UFA.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/2025/7/25/24474569/max-tsyplakov-signs-two-years-new-york-islanders

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Shabanov hype, Schaefer’s next gig, Barzal’s aces

Ready to bring the skill | Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Let’s get excited.

It’s the end of July, which means next month is the last month without at least some preseason hockey.

We’re getting there, and this week we have a few sprinkled reasons to kind of be excited on and off the ice.

Islanders News​

• A teammate on the work ethic, skills and game-changing ability of our diminutive KHL signing, Maxim Shabanov. [Isles]
• Matthew Schaefer’s busy summer continues this weekend with the junior summer showcase in Minnesota. But will he be able to play in the winter tourney, or will he be with the Isles? [NHL]
• Mat Barzal hit two holes-in-one within a week. [NHL]
• No story other than the photo, but...: When Stan Fischler interviewed Neil Smith, Lou Lamoriello and Mike Milbury as metro GMs for MSG in 1998. [NHL]

Elsewhere​

• Kind of funny: Should the Oilers address their shaky goalie situation by acquiring a shaky goalie from the Penguins? I love the thought of the Oilers reaching the final again (they won’t) and answering their “we needed someone to match Bobrovsky save for save” desire by saying “so we got Tristan Jarry.” [Sportsnet]
• At age 37 and after sitting out a couple years due to a hip injury, Nick Backstrom will resume (and surely finish) his pro hockey career back in Sweden. [NHL]
• The cold standoff between the Wild and Marco Rossi continues. [TSN]
• Kind of crazy that Nazem Kadri is already 35. If he and the Flames’ trajectories don’t match, here are some sensible trade destinations. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...max-shabanov-matthew-schaefer-mat-barzal-golf

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Pulock among worst contracts; site changes loom, should be cool

There’s still time, man. There’s still time. Like five years, to be specific. | Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images

Please check your login.

Hey friends (and foes), our new site overhaul is scheduled for overnight (Monday-Tuesday, Western Hemisphere times), so I wanted to get one more thread up before that transition happens and in case we have any login hiccups on the other side.

For the NHL sites on the Vox/SB Nation network, these changes come at a good time since we are in the quietest period of NHL news {knocks on wood, fully expects blockbuster trade at 5 p.m.}.

What Should You Do?​

Understand that you will be logged out Aug. 4-5 and will need to log back in. The biggest thing you should do is to review this network-wide post to understand how you’ll log in and retain your user name or archive once the changeover happens. (And yes, I do see the delicious irony in having to close a pop-up ad on a post that tells you how to continue using our site. Ahhh, capitalism.) How you log in after the change will vary depending on how you log in now (e.g. Google and Facebook? Fine; Yahoo or Twitter? You got work to do) or how you first created your user name.

Lord Bossy knows we don’t want to lose anyone to this changeover — well, except you there, in the back. Yeah you, the one with the Muller jersey. Real funny. Go dye your hair.

So bear with us, follow the directions and hopefully we’ll see you on the other side.

Meanwhile...

Islanders News​

Ranking the 10 worst contracts in the league: Once upon a time, “Ryan Pulock [7th-worst] was one half of one of the league’s best shutdown pairs. Even if the production wasn’t there, Pulock looked like a true top-pair stud with his ability to win difficult matchups with Adam Pelech. It’s what made it seem like an eight-year deal at $6.2 million could be a great deal. Today, it looks anything but. In two of the last three seasons, the Islanders have struggled a lot more with Pulock on the ice at both ends of it.” [Athletic]

New prospect Daniil Prokhorov has some options. He’s going to try out for Dynamo Moscow but if that doesn’t work he could go back to Russian juniors or even leap to North America with OHL Sarnia. (He has some interesting traits but is still a longshot, so I wouldn’t spend much time worrying about it, except it’s August and what else are we gonna do?) [THN]

Elsewhere​

• Bill Guerin says the U.S. “has to win” at the Olympics. Okay then! [NHL]
• Speaking of which, Connor Bedard was among 42 invited to Team Canada camp, so isn’t that nice. [NHL]
• 32 Thoughts podcast: a 1.5 hour mid-summer check-in you can probably do without. [Sportsnet]
• The 2016 Draft: Not a great one! (But the Isles have the joy of temporarily employing underwhelming picks 19, 20 and 21.) [Oilers Nation / Hockey Reference]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/20...rs-news-ryan-pulock-worst-contracts-prokhorov

 

[New York Islanders]

Max Tsyplakov signs for two years with Islanders

Max have puck. | Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The New York Islanders announced a two-year extension with Max Tsyplakov, avoiding an arbitration hearing and locking him up at a very reasonable rate.

Before the team could get the announcement out Friday afternoon, Elliotte Friedman cottage-tweeted the cap hit of $2.25 million:

NYI and Maxim Tsyplakov avoid arbitration

2 x $2.25M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 25, 2025

Tsyplakov was one of 11 NHLers to file for arbitration this summer, though these days most reach an agreement before their hearing, which for him would’ve come July 29. A one-year deal would’ve walked the KHL import to UFA, so this provides some nice flexibility for the Isles as Tsyplakov continues to establish his NHL profile in his age 27 season.

He’s coming off a one-year ELC that had a $950,000 cap hit. With 10 goals and 25 points and 14-15 minutes of ice time per game, he didn’t wow during his rookie year but he showed flashes. Some of his underlying numbers hint at an effective and intermittently productive NHL regular, especially if he can avoid taking minor penalties.

This salary sounds about right for where he is and what his usage may be. There will be competition for the kind of top-six wing spots that would allow him to outperform this contract on his way to a bigger payday in UFA.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/2025/7/25/27019/max-tsyplakov-signs-two-years-new-york-islanders

 

[New York Islanders]

Max Tsyplakov signs for two years with Islanders

Max have puck. | Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images

The New York Islanders announced a two-year extension with Max Tsyplakov, avoiding an arbitration hearing and locking him up at a very reasonable rate.

Before the team could get the announcement out Friday afternoon, Elliotte Friedman cottage-tweeted the cap hit of $2.25 million:

NYI and Maxim Tsyplakov avoid arbitration

2 x $2.25M

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 25, 2025

Tsyplakov was one of 11 NHLers to file for arbitration this summer, though these days most reach an agreement before their hearing, which for him would’ve come July 29. A one-year deal would’ve walked the KHL import to UFA, so this provides some nice flexibility for the Isles as Tsyplakov continues to establish his NHL profile in his age 27 season.

He’s coming off a one-year ELC that had a $950,000 cap hit. With 10 goals and 25 points and 14-15 minutes of ice time per game, he didn’t wow during his rookie year but he showed flashes. Some of his underlying numbers hint at an effective and intermittently productive NHL regular, especially if he can avoid taking minor penalties.

This salary sounds about right for where he is and what his usage may be. There will be competition for the kind of top-six wing spots that would allow him to outperform this contract on his way to a bigger payday in UFA.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/2025/7/25/27021/max-tsyplakov-signs-two-years-new-york-islanders

 

[New York Islanders]

Welcome to the new Lighthouse Hockey: A fresh look, fewer ads and a new feature

Things will look a little different around here today.

A few weeks ago we told you something new was coming to Lighthouse Hockey and today it’s here. Things are cleaner, faster and easier to use. There are the same writers, coverage, comments, and community you’ve come to rely on, now with less clutter and clunkiness.

Let’s dive in. If you scroll down the page on your phone or computer, it’s smoother. You’ll notice that the most talked-about stories have a bigger font displaying the number of comments. You’ll also see a section called Active Conversations to point you to the busiest conversations right now.

But there’s two changes we’re most excited to tell you about:

Fewer ads for logged-in users​

Our loyal readers and commenters are the heartbeat of our communities, and with this new design we’re excited to offer them fewer ads when they’re logged in. Specifically:

• Video players will no longer chase you down the page. Just scroll past one and it will be gone.
• Full page pop-ups that would sometimes interrupt your commenting experience have been disabled.

You can log in or sign up here and check it out.

A new feature by the community, for the community: The Feed​

Today we’re launching a brand new space for you to come together. The Feed is a running stream of posts and updates from you, the community, mixed in with links and updates from the team and our staff. Think of it as our community’s group text where you can easily grab your phone and share a link to a story, post a question or write your own post on the day’s news.

You can find it in two places:

• On the homepage, adjacent to the top stories. Community participation is core to who we are, so we want it right on the front page to share your stuff.
• A devoted homepage for The Feed where you can see the full stream of posts coming in from the community. You might want to bookmark that.

Log in or sign up here and you can start posting on The Feed and seeing fewer ads immediately.



Today’s launch is a big deal for our community, and it’s also a kickoff of broader efforts to build around the community we have here. Soon you’ll get alerts when someone replies to your comment or your post on The Feed, with more to come thereafter. We want to put the community in the driver’s seat, so let us know what you want in the comments below or in The Feed.

If you want to dig into more of this updated experience, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton, where he expands on the changes in our ads and design. Ed will be responding to questions in the comments. If you have any questions about how to log in to our new system, check out this article from last week.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/la...ckey-a-fresh-look-fewer-ads-and-a-new-feature

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Matthew Schaefer is a swell dude

They like Schaefer, they do.

You made it! We made it! Since I was last able to publish, the Islanders dropped the news that Matthew Schafer had signed his ELC. But of course the kid didn’t just sign his first pro contract, he managed to make it a feel-good story by inviting all kinds of kids who’d also lost a parent to join in, ask him questions, and generally not feel alone.

In the Year of Our Bossy, 2025, did you ever expect the Islanders would land a 17-year-old quite like this? More on that in a moment…

But First: The Site Transition​

But first, a note about our site migration. Thanks for bearing with the network overlords as they moved the bells and whistles. If you have trouble logging in, click the notices on the site or, if all else fails, email [email protected].

The site should largely focus like it did before (though we’re told there are now fewer ads and fewer intrusions for those who log in), but there is one notable new area for short-form, breaking news, or other grabass interaction: The Feed.

To test, I posted one late last night here, a link to one of the Matthew Schafer stories that just kind of underlines what a great kid he appears to be. I imagine The Feed will function like that, where you can share quick things or specific ideas, kind of like the FanPosts and FanShots of yesteryear, for you old-timers. Lest it get spammed with crap, I’m pretty sure the most engaged or talked-about Feed posts will rise to the top. In theory.

Islanders News​

And now, back to the daily topics at hand: the suddenly relevant-again New York Islanders…

• Schaefer to wear #48. I’m not really thrilled with the original reason, though I can accept it with the middle man being his brother. And I’m glad we’re past the era of “Lou said you wear 3, so you wear 3.” [Isles]
• Here’s the big one though: Schaefer shared his signing event with kids who’ve lost loved ones. I’m not crying, you’re crying. [Isles]
• He also threw out a first pitch at a Mets game. [Isles]
• This list has the Isles as one of three teams with “tier 1” goaltending. Big question mark there in the backup slot though. [TSN]
• Also in the nice news category, Scott Mayfield, Ryan Pulock and Kyle MacLean played with some Viscardi students who played wheelchair hockey. [Isles]

NHL News​

• A bear did what many of us would do when we see a mascot. [Sportsnet]
• Anton Khudobin hangs up his pads. [Sportsnet]
• Nine significant RFAs remain unsigned, including 21-year-old Luke Hughes and Billy Guerin’s cold-shouldered Marco Rossi. [Sportsnet]
• Speaking of Rossi, what’s the deal here? [Athletic]
• Why some NHLers choose sleep over drinking during the season. [Athletic]
• Vitali Kravtsov returns from the KHL to rejoin the Canucks. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...islanders-news-matthew-schaefer-elc-great-guy

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Barzal’s contract value; Darche on things

Tough to get good help these days.

There isn’t news, exactly, but there are topics:

Summer topics like Cap Court taking on five contracts, including Elias Pettersson’s, Jakob Chychrun’s and Mathew Barzal’s after an injury-torched season:

He was injured for almost all of last year, so we can probably ditch those disappointing numbers. The year before that, he had 80 points, his best total since his rookie season. There’s a reason new Isles management made it clear Barzal wasn’t going anywhere. And while you don’t want to overplay the “cap is going up” card, we already covered how the center market is about to shift in the Pettersson section.

— Athletic

• Or Ryan Pulock (subject of a different recent contract critique) having a big summer with a firstborn on the way and various training, as one does. [Isles]
• Barzal was one of many topics Jeff Marek brought up with Mathieu Darche on this lengthy interview, beginning about 35 minutes in to this. [The Sheet via Twitter]
• THN broke some of those topics into clickable content: Darche on Barzal, Calum Ritchie’s chance of making the squad out of camp, and Semyon Varlamov’s rehab “I’m told it’s progressing well [but you never know].”

Elsewhere​

• That Athletic Cap Court piece’s discussion of Pettersson linked to something from earlier this year that tried to understand his freefall and determine if it was a true (and early career) decline. Some of the signs do look like they’re lingering-injury-related, which would be bad news if his knee has slowed him down.
• For his part, Pettersson says he’s healthy, working on speed and “wants revenge.” [NHL | Sportsnet]
• It’s summer, so rosterbate over the Canadian Olympic roster. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...-news-barzals-contract-value-darche-on-things

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders Musing: Who fits where?

As we wait for rookie camp and proper training camp, the evergreen debate is: who makes the team and who plays where?

Some variables include Semyon Varlamov’s health, Mat Barzal’s position (and Jonathan Drouin’s, if the hoped-for chemistry with Bo Horvat doesn’t ignite…and Casey Cizikas’, if his late-last-season shift continues) and Matthew Schaefer’s near future.

THN had a post on this topic and it’s been debated plenty in comments lately here, but you can look at it in a few areas:

Who are the Centers?

Barzal is a candidate to move back to his original position as the Isles discussed a desire for Drouin to setup Horvat at center. But at his signing, the Isles mentioned Drouin’s ability to play center and wing, and of course Barzal is in that same boat.

Meanwhile, Casey Cizikas played his share at wing down the stretch, and the last survivor from the Best Fourth Line in Hockey is getting older.

And then over here you have Kyle MacLean.

Who are the Defensemen?

Tony DeAngelo and Adam Boqvist are the returnees from the crop of mid-season emergency signings/waiver claims. Scott Mayfield was scratched plenty down the stretch so he should not be considered a lock in the regular lineup.

After Alex Romanov, Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and DeAngelo, who are the other regulars? Boqvist and Mayfield will almost certainly be on the NHL roster if not every-night players, and Schaefer will of course get his shot to stick.

Other wild cards are Isaiah George, who started really well last season under emergency conditions before fading, and perhaps former NHL regular Ethan Bear, who’s on a two-way deal.

Who are the Extra Forwards?

Is MacLean here? Does Marc Gatcomb retain that energy/grateful-to-be-here extra forward role? Do Pierre Engvall and/or Anthony Duclair return to the doghouse and create extra openings?

Even if you’re not big on the Isles’ offseason, the additions of Emil Heineman in the Noah Dobson trade and Max Shabanov via KHL import means there are two new should-be regulars who should make the fringes of the forward lineup less depressing.

How is the Goalie Load?

Varlamov is rehabbing and old. What are the odds of him returning healthy? If he does, what’s the over/under on his games played? David Rittich, from Jihlava, Czechia, is ready to be backup at age 32, and he’s coming off career highs and lows in save percentage over the past two seasons. The Islanders cannot afford to run Ilya Sorokin into the ground, so they’ll need Rittich to not be so Hogberg-y (2024-25 save percentages: Rittich, .886, Hogberg, .878).

On this Day ​

In 2020: Having dispatched the Panthers in the pandemic play-in round, the Barry Trotz-led Islanders prepared to meet the Washington Capitals in the first round/round of 16. In the Toronto bubble, the Islanders would win Game 1, 4-2, and finish out the series with a 4-0 win in Game 5.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42722/islanders-musing-who-fits-where

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders & NHL News: Looking back at 2019, Pierre, Duclair

From Isles Den on YouTube, on the 2018-19 season: “Nobody saw them coming…”

Also…:

• Anthony Duclair is looking forward to the season with the Isles. [via @RTaub]
• …and Duclair deserves another shot/fresh slate. [THN]
• Revisiting some Isles video content: Alumni browse the hockey card wall. [Isles]
• Summer power rankings: “It’s slightly uncomfortable ranking the Isles this low [24th] because they’re still just a monster Ilya Sorokin season away from pushing very hard for a playoff spot.” [Sportsnet]
• Pierre Turgeon discusses his career, including the impact of Al Arbour, the D*le H*nt*r coward-shot plus some great stuff about driving to the rink with Patrick Roy every day in Montreal knowing that the end was near (his interview starts about an hour into these meatheads’ bro-cast). [Spittin’ Chicklets]
• The Gaudreau widows are announcing a foundation in their late husbands’ name with an interview on a morning show on Johnny’s birthday. [NHL]

Not Isles-related

• Matthew and Brady Tkachuk talk about their teams, the CBA (“less preseason crap”), the Olympics ’n stuff. [ESPN]
• Speaking of them, Matthew is somehow still undecided on abdominal surgery, which would cause him to miss at least two to three months. (Season’s approaching…LTIR shenanigans?). [ESPN]
• The Senators have acquired land in their never-ending arena ambition. [Sportsnet | TSN]
• Looking toward the next draft lottery that the Penguins will win: Can Keaton Verhoeff catch Gavin McKenna as the top prospect? [Sportsnet]
• The Wild will bring Jack Johnson in on a PTO. Dude’s a cockroach. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42726/islanders-turgeon-duclair

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Bailey & Belmont talk…

We’re a little under two months from opening night, and the news is fairly dry. But we need a fresh thread, so:

• This “walk down the card wall” with Josh Bailey is actually pretty neat (and brief), for its Ice Cheetah redemption arc. [Isles video]
• An outdoor game at Belmont? Isles exec John Collins, the father of outdoor games, says could be… [@RTaub_]
• Shanghai surprise: Gerard Gallant’s newest gig is in the KHL for China’s team….except they play in St. Petersburg. [TSN]
• After recovering from testicular cancer, an injury after he returned, and an offseason trade, Dakota Joshua is ready for a fresh start. [NHL]
• An arbitrator has sided with the Flyers in their contract termination with Ryan Johansen. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42742/islanders-news-bailey-belmont-talk

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Summer rewind

I mean it’s everything we’ve talked about daily for the past few months, but…the NHL dot-com got around to the Islanders in their 32-in-32 series, so here it is, officially:

NHL Inside Look​

• The Isles’ current top prospects are all recently acquired, including of course the three first-round picks a couple months ago. [NHL]
• The lottery win and drafting of Mathew Schaefer added life, though there was that trade of their previous top young defenseman to shift the retool into future mode. “There’s been some hope restored and there’s a direction with youth involved, and really talented youth,” says Cal Clutterbuck. [NHL]
• Their top three questions: If Schaefer makes it (and how often he plays), the Varlamov health situation and fixing the miserable special teams. On that last point, maybe this partial Anders Lee quote is nothing, but maybe it’s not: “With our new assistant coaches, getting on the same page with them having a plan…” [NHL]
• And EDGE stats: “Forward Anders Lee led the entire NHL in high-danger shots on goal (131) and was tied for sixth in high-danger goals (23) last season.“ [NHL]
• Not new ground here, but: Will Schaefer, who still hasn’t turned 18, make the team? [Sportsnet]
• Old friend Travis Hamonic rides again! He picked up at least one more NHL contract, with Detroit, despite some unconvincing results the last several seasons. [TSN]

asd

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42747/islanders-news-summer-rewind