Islanders Mailbag: Romanov Questions, Eklund Expectations & Schedule Surprises
Will Alexander Romanov bounce back? What should Islanders fans expect from Victor Eklund as a rookie? Plus, thoughts on Anthony Duclair, Isaiah George, Bo Horvat's potential captaincy, and more.
Now that the 2026 NHL Draft, free agency, and development camp are in the books, the Islanders’ 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.
ROSNER: This is a great question, Dom, and a fair concern.
While Alexander Romanov’s season ended on Nov. 18, he was struggling well before that. He had dealt with an upper-body injury before the season-ending one, but Romanov isn’t someone who makes excuses. He called his season terrible.
What makes this more complicated is that Romanov is entering the second year of an eight-year, worth $6.25 million annually, with his full no-trade clause kicking in on July 1, 2027.
So, if he can’t get back to being the trustworthy, momentum-shifting blueliner he’s shown he can be, Darche has a big decision to make.
The good news is that Pete DeBoer has a track record of helping defensemen take the next step. Romanov’s biggest issue last season was his positioning, whether after missing a hit, getting caught flat-footed, or struggling with his gap control. His inconsistency also wasn’t helped by playing alongside Noah Dobson and Tony DeAngelo, neither of whom was known for their defensive games.
If DeBoer can find the right partner for Romanov and get him fully bought into the structure, there’s no reason he can’t be a solid defenseman for this team moving forward.
But the injury is a major concern. Romanov’s game is built on big hits, and if he can’t play that style effectively or misses time because of the physical toll, it becomes harder to justify keeping him at that cap hit with left-shot prospects starting to push for NHL jobs.
ROSNER: I think so, Dale. But that could also be what’s holding up a trade. It ultimately depends on the team he’d be moved to. What’s their cap situation? Do they need to get to the cap floor? Did they miss out on adding a depth forward in free agency and now see value in adding some speed to their middle six?
You look at a team like Anaheim and wonder if, to save a little money, they might send Alex Killorn and a pick to the Islanders for Anthony Duclair. Or maybe another club sees him as a change-of-scenery candidate, similar to the Chris Kreider deal. You know?
ROSNER: I’m not expecting any more additions, A.J., outside of depth signings for Hamilton. Maybe we see a forward brought in on a PTO for training camp. Still, I think Darche did exactly what he needed to do in free agency, adding a middle-six forward in Matias Maccelli, a depth defenseman in Matthew Kessel, and Vitek Vanecek as insurance behind Semyon Varlamov.
Darche believes this team is capable of making the playoffs, and training camp should be competitive, with so many depth forwards and defensemen fighting for just a few roster spots.
While it’s probably not the most attractive answer, the Islanders are also getting back Kyle Palmieri, Pierre Engvall, and Alexander Romanov after injury-plagued seasons.
If the Islanders had Palmieri — and maybe even Engvall — in the lineup for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, they likely would have made the playoffs.
That said, there’s no question other teams in the Metropolitan Division got tougher, so we’ll see just how competitive this Islanders team is in a few months.
ROSNER: So, here’s the situation. Every team is dealing with some unusual midweek start times this season. That’s because the NHL is trying to cater to its growing European audience.
From the league:
“A new fixture on the NHL regular season schedule for 2026-27 is a steady stream of Monday weekday matinee / European primetime games, providing passionate hockey fans abroad the ability to watch their favorite teams, and some of the NHL’s biggest stars, in prime time during the week. These games further the League’s commitment to deepening its connection with international fans and growth in European markets, as well as driving brand awareness for NHL Clubs internationally. This also provides a new offering to engage fans and new audiences in the NHL’s North American markets: a matinee game creates a unique and memorable fan experience and allows Clubs to deliver bespoke activations and fun engagement opportunities.”
The Islanders are one of several teams impacted by the scheduling change, with five weekday matinee games on the calendar in 2026-27.
ROSNER: For starters, the Islanders’ coaching staff will collectively be working on the power play, not just one person. Head coach Pete DeBoer told us that Rocky Thompson will take point, but it’s going to be a collaborative effort.
I definitely expect them to find more creative ways to gain the zone and get set up. That said, I don’t think there’s going to be anything revolutionary about what they do.
I’d expect the power play to run more through Matthew Schaefer than Mathew Barzal. I’d also expect a greater emphasis on getting pucks to the net rather than constantly looking for the perfect play.
You know the expression “keep it simple.” I really think we’re going to see that this season, especially with how accurate Schaefer is from the point and how quickly he’s adjusted to the NHL game in all facets.
ROSNER: That’s a great question. To me, it really depends on where he’s playing in the lineup and who he’s playing with. If you believe he can step right into a top-six role, that obviously bodes well for his offensive production. If he starts the year more as a middle-six, third-line player, the numbers may not be quite as high.
I think Eklund has the potential to be a 20-goal, 20-assist player as a rookie. I really do. But that’s asking a lot of a 19-year-old in his first NHL season. There’s nothing wrong with having high expectations, though.
A more realistic projection might be something in the range of 15 goals and 15 assists. That said, I think he’s going to shine, especially if he ends up playing with someone like Bo Horvat, as he did in his one and only NHL game this past season.
ROSNER: I don’t think Engvall was so much a liability as he was a player who didn’t give enough on a nightly basis.
I also don’t think expectations should be overly lofty. He’s coming off hip and ankle surgery, but he’s fully healthy and expected to be ready for training camp.
Listen, if Engvall shows a willingness to get to the dirty areas and proves to DeBoer that his speed can be an asset in this system, there’s a role for him in the bottom six.
Like DeBoer said when asked about Anthony Duclair on the final day of development camp, everyone is getting a clean slate. It’s up to Engvall to show he’s worthy of an NHL job because, if not, the Islanders can bury $1.775 million of his $3 million cap hit in the minors.
ROSNER: Honestly, the only thing really left to do is move players Darche doesn’t view as part of the future of this hockey team.
While the Islanders don’t need the salary cap space right now, it’s more about creating roster spots for prospects to have a legitimate chance to win NHL jobs.
That said, it’s not worth attaching draft picks to those players to get a deal done.
Obviously, if there’s still an opportunity to acquire a top-six weapon, the Islanders should be making calls. But I think that ship has sailed at this point, especially given Darche’s unwillingness to part with any of his top prospects right now.
ROSNER: If Isaiah George makes the team, it doesn’t make much sense to me for a 22-year-old defenseman to be serving as the seventh defenseman.
I could absolutely see him earning a spot in the starting lineup, potentially bumping Scott Mayfield out of the top six. If that happens, Matthew Schaefer moving to the right side is a possibility, as DeBoer himself brought up.
While Romanov is fully healthy, we also need to see what he looks like coming off shoulder surgery. Until we do, I think there are still some questions about how the defense pairs will shake out.
Could we see something like this?
Pelech — Schaefer
George — Pulock
Romanov — DeAngelo
It’s certainly not out of the question. The biggest thing is that George needs to be playing every night if he’s on the NHL roster. At this stage of his development, sitting in the press box as the seventh defenseman doesn’t do much for anyone.
ROSNER: I have zero concern about there being any tension in the room.
Bo Horvat, who I believe is the favorite to be named captain, has already worn the “C” in Vancouver. He’s also worn an “A” with the Islanders, which would seem to put him at the front of the line for the captaincy.
Mathew Barzal isn’t oblivious to the fact that he’s never worn a letter in the NHL, and I’d imagine he’d be one of the first players supporting Horvat for the role if a vote has already taken place.
At the end of the day, you don’t need a letter to be a leader. Barzal is one of the faces of the franchise and is respected in the room. Whether he has a letter on his jersey or not isn’t going to change that.
DESIGN THE ISLANDERS 2027-28 THIRD JERSEY
