Islanders Mailbag: Evan Gold's Role, Patrik Laine & The Prospect Pipeline
The latest Islanders mailbag covers Evan Gold, Patrik Laine, Victor Eklund, the prospect pool, expansion draft scenarios and more.
Now that the 2026 NHL Draft, free agency, and development camp are in the books, the offseason is entering a different phase—but that doesn’t mean the news cycle is slowing down.
With the season long over and the biggest summer events behind us, Free Friday is shifting back into offseason mode, with a weekly New York Islanders mailbag where your questions take center stage.
And don’t get it twisted: there’s still plenty happening.
From exclusive interviews and insider reporting to in-depth analysis and behind-the-scenes access, The Elmonters isn’t going anywhere. We’ll be tracking every roster move, contract negotiation, prospect development, and storyline that shapes the months ahead.
So let’s dive into this week’s mailbag, kicking things off with Evan Gold.
Question 1: Evan Gold
ROSNER: As of now, we don’t know what role Evan Gold will have. Yes, he spent several years as the Bruins’ assistant general manager while also serving as the Providence Bruins' general manager. But the Islanders already have three assistant general managers in Steve Pellegrini, Ryan Bowness, and Chris Lamoriello. While all three are expected back for the 2026-27 season, Pellegrini and Lamoriello are entering the final year of their contracts. It’ll be interesting to see whether Gold is added to the group or if his arrival ultimately leads to a shift in responsibilities.
Question 2: Patrik Laine
ROSNER: From what I’ve been told, the Islanders did have conversations with Patrik Laine’s camp when free agency opened. I don’t believe the Islanders were willing, or are willing, to offer Laine anything more than a Professional Tryout (PTO). There’s no question Laine could help the Islanders’ power play. And because he missed more than 100 games last season, he’s eligible to sign a bonus-laden contract, allowing for a lower base salary with performance incentives.
That said, the Islanders already have a logjam at forward, so I don’t see them circling back to Laine at this point. However, if Laine doesn’t receive the contract he’s looking for, could his camp revisit Long Island? That’s certainly a possibility, especially considering it’s July 24 and he’s still sitting on the open market.
Question 3: Victor Eklund
ROSNER: That’s a really good question because it’s not as simple as whether Victor Eklund is NHL ready. Personally, I think he was NHL ready as soon as he came over from Sweden at the end of last season. The bigger question is whether the Islanders believe he can thrive at the NHL level rather than just survive. If they don’t, then I could see him starting the season in Hamilton.
That said, I do think Eklund belongs in the top six. A third-line role doesn’t make much sense considering the Islanders’ third line is still expected to be their go-to defensive line. It’s hard to envision Eklund, in his first NHL season, filling that type of role.
Question 4: Prospect Pool Readiness
ROSNER: By the end of the 2027-28 season, I expect Victor Eklund, Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, Kashawn Aitcheson and Malte Gustafsson to all be in the Islanders’ lineup. Up front, Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas, Ondrej Palat and Kyle MacLean all come off the books following the 2026-27 season, creating opportunities for younger players to step in.
On the blue line, I also have a hard time seeing the Islanders bringing back the entire veteran group for yet another season. While Alexander Romanov is the defenseman to watch given that his full no-trade clause kicks in on July 1, 2027, both Scott Mayfield and Ryan Pulock see their full no-trade clauses convert to 16-team modified no-trade clauses on that same date. Even though Aitcheson and Gustafsson are both left-shot defensemen, I don't think either playing the right side is much of a concern if that's what the Islanders ask of them. And if not, Matthew Schaefer has already shown he can play the right side, giving the Islanders another option as they sort out their defensive pairings.
Question 5: Anthony Duclair Or Pierre Engvall?
ROSNER: This is a great question. To be honest, I don’t see either player having a significant role, although it’s certainly possible one of them earns one. Both have tools that can help this hockey club, but both have also struggled with consistency throughout their NHL careers. That said, I do think Anthony Duclair plays more games than Pierre Engvall. Pete DeBoer is familiar with Duclair from their time together, and with Patrick Roy no longer behind the bench, some of the pressure that stemmed from everything that transpired during the 2025-26 season is gone. I never really got the sense that the relationship was truly repaired.
As for Engvall, he’s coming off a season in which he didn’t play a game because of injuries. That followed a 2024-25 campaign where he failed to make the team out of training camp and cleared waivers multiple times. He’s got a lot to prove heading into camp.
Question 6: Expansion Draft
ROSNER: Players with full no-movement clauses must be protected. The only Islander with a full no-movement clause is Ilya Sorokin. The Islanders would also have several notable prospects who would automatically be exempt from selection because they would still be considered first or second-year professionals by the summer of 2027: Matthew Schaefer, Victor Eklund, Kashawn Aitcheson, Malte Gustafsson, Daniil Prokhorov... you get the idea.
Teams can protect either seven forwards, three defensemen and one goaltender, or eight skaters of any position and one goaltender. The latter option is typically used by teams that have four defensemen they feel they can’t afford to lose. The Islanders would likely opt for the 7-3-1 format. It’s difficult to project exactly who would be protected because so much can change over the next year.
Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat and Ilya Sorokin would almost certainly be protected. Beyond that, the decisions likely come down to which veterans remain on the roster and how confident the organization is that its young players are ready to step into full-time NHL roles by the fall of 2027.
