Overview
- The Islanders entered Thanksgiving Eve at 13-8-2 and third in the Metropolitan Division, with Darche and Roy describing constant, day-to-day collaboration.
- Defenseman Alex Romanov is out five to six months following shoulder surgery, which Darche said ends his regular season after the Nov. 18 boarding incident in Dallas.
- GM Mathieu Darche said Jean-Gabriel Pageau is week to week but likely out only two to three weeks with no surgery planned, as Adam Boqvist steps into the third pair and Travis Mitchell is recalled for depth.
- Darche and Roy said a preseason system change led to early turnover issues but recent weeks show clear defensive improvement, highlighted by a 6-1-0 road trip.
- Offseason and cultural moves shaping the start include retaining Roy, drafting Matthew Schaefer first overall, pushing for Emil Heineman in the Noah Dobson trade, signing Jonathan Drouin, and benching Mathew Barzal after a missed team bus, with Sorokin and David Rittich providing steady goaltending as Semyon Varlamov continues a lengthy rehab without a timeline.