The New York Islanders opened their 2025-26 training camp Thursday with some new faces, both on the bench and behind it. This is Mathieu Darche’s first season as Islanders general manager. There are a few questions that need to be answer if the Islanders want to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Can Anthony Duclair Overcome His Nightmare First Season With Islanders?
To say Anthony Duclair’s first season on the Island was a disappointment would be an understatement. The forward signed a four-year/$14 million contract on July 1, 2024. Head Coach Patrick Roy personally called Duclair, who Roy coached in juniors to come to the Islanders. The 29-year-old made an immediate impact, scoring the team’s first goal of the season. In his first three games, Duclair had three points (2 goals, assist) Unfortunately, Duclair tore his groin in the fifth game of the season against the Montreal Canadiens and would go on to miss the next two months.
Duclair rushed to return to the lineup and struggled to find the game the Islanders were hoping for when they made the four-year investment in him. In the 39 games following his return, Duclair had just five goals. Following a disappointing effort in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Roy expressed his frustrations with the winger.
“He was god-awful. He was god-awful. He had a bad game. That’s why I didn’t play him a lot,” Roy said. “And he’s lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that’s how I feel. He’s not skating, he’s not competing, he’s not moving his feet. He’s not playing up to what we expect from him,” Roy said. Duclair took a leave of absence for the remainder of the season following Roy’s criticism.
Roy drove from Quebec City to Montreal during the offseason for an in-person apology to Duclair. “He apologized for his comments. I told him I didn’t need an apology. I just need him to know I was playing hurt,” Duclair Said. “I think it was just a miscommunication by everybody, myself included. He just obviously thought I was playing (at) 100%, which I wasn’t.” Duclair revealed that he tore his groin off the bone and played hurt the rest of the way while also missing large chunks of time. He said he spent this off-season rehabbing the torn groin but it did not require surgery.
Duclair begin last season on the top line with Bo Horvat, a spot that now belongs to newly signed Jonathan Drouin. Roy plans to use him on the third line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom. Duclair was on the ice when training camp opened Thursday and said that his goal is to be ready for the start of the regular season which begins on Oct 9.
The Backup Plan
The Islanders began the 2024-25 with arguably the top goaltending tandem in the NHL with Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. That all changed when Varlamov injured his knee against the Washington Capitals on November 29. The injury required season-ending surgery in December. Varlamov’s absence left the Islanders with a huge void. He played in 10 of the team’s first 24 games. Marcus Hogberg, who struggled with Bridgeport, was recalled and played in the NHL for the first time since the 2020-21 season with the Ottawa Senators. Hogberg struggled in the opportunity, going 2-6-3 with a 3.38 GAA and .878 save pct.
Darche decided that goaltender insurance was needed heading into the season. He signed David Rittich signed a one-year deal in July in case Varlamov would not be ready to start the season. Varlamov, who had season-ending knee surgery, has been progressing and skating, but there is no timetable on when he will be ready.
Not So Special Teams
The Islanders special teams were consistent last season, finishing both 31st on the power play and penalty kill. The abysmal results forced Darche and Roy to make changes to the coaching staff. John Maclean and Tommy Albelin, both former general manager Lou Lamoriello guys, were out and Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner were brought in. Bennett will run the power play and Boughner the penalty kill. Roy stated that if the team was marginally better, they would have made the playoffs.
“I’m going to look for power play and penalty killing. I think last year if our power play and our PK would have been better, we probably would have made the playoffs,” said Roy at the team’s annual golf outing. “We made some changes obviously in the offseason and I’m very excited about those changes. And I’m certainly going to use training camp in order for us not to win the first game, but be ready for that first game — basically, be the best version of ourselves before the start of the season.”
Roy is changing things up during training camp. Rather than focusing on special teams later in camp, Roy and the staff have targeted day 3 (this Saturday) as the focus on special teams. Tony DeAngelo, who Darche re-signed in the offseason, will likely replace Noah Dobson, who was traded to Montreal in June, as the quarterback of the top power play.
The Path For Cal Ritchie to the Islanders
The Islanders have a couple of options for Cal Ritchie, the centerpiece of the Brock Nelson deal. They currently have four strong centers in Bo Horvat, Mat Barzal, Pageau and Casey Cizikas and a fifth one in Kyle MacLean. Ritchie, who is traditionally a center, would have to absolutely wow Roy and company to make the opening night roster. Since Ritchie is now 20, that makes him eligible for the AHL.
The Islanders can also send him to Bridgeport without passing him through waivers. Ritchie will not be the 13th forward on the roster. MacLean or/and Marc Gatcomb will likely have the honors. Ritchie has just seven games of NHL experience, having started last season with the Avalanche before Colorado returned him to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals for the remainder of the season.
Darche doesn’t sound ready to rush Ritchie to the NHL. “Well, it’s a process. I want them to have an NHL career, not play games,” Darche said in an appearance on The Sheet with Jeff Marek in August. “It’s not a race, whoever plays his first game or his first 20 games. Having said that, play at training camp. Yes, we have a lot of forwards, and if Cal comes to training camp and outplays everyone, I’ll make room for him on the roster.”
