NHL 2025-2026 schedule unveiled! How will the New York Islanders fare in the upcoming season? Breaking down key matchups, road trips, and potential playoff implications.
Gil Martin analyzes the Islanders’ schedule, including a season opener against Pittsburgh and two seven-game road trips. Fan questions tackle Patrick Roy’s impact, Lane Lambert’s move to Seattle, and Mathew Barzal’s injury concerns. Plus, get an exclusive scouting report on draft pick Daniil Prokhorov and celebrate Islanders legend Brian Trottier’s birthday.
Discover how the new schedule could shape the Islanders’ playoff hopes and learn about the team’s rising stars. Will Prokhorov become the next Anders Lee? Tune in for expert insights and predictions on the Islanders’ path to success in 2025-2026.
All this and more on today’s Locked On Islanders Podcast with Gil Martin.
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16 Comments
Happy Birthday Bryan Trottier. July 17th. Trottier, centering Bossy and Gillies, was a formidable first line from 1977-1983. Six seasons of terrorizing NHL goalies. What an era.
SHOCKING nhl shows off their isle hate once again.
my last post. i refuse to post anymore on the grounds that my perspective and attitude are disgusting making me an unwelcome isle fan. or called annoying because i don't share that optimism for something that on paper looks good that may never come to fruition with a 3-4 year wait to see period. i said this was coming for last 3 years. it was inevitable. any gm darche or whoever would have done what has been done. no big shocker. i'm tired of waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel. if that makes me a disgusting and annoying fan then so be it.
SO LONG… gil, you are the man.
I don’t think Roy is the kind of guy to make concessions for a player who is not contributing. To do so is not a culture of winning. Strong leadership from the coach, GM and captain/veteran players needs to be the mo of any team. Coach Arbor told his players to leave who doubted the Isles coming back from 0-3 against Pittsburgh in the playoffs. We all know Arbors results may never be matched again.
7:00 games are great baseball games have been at that time for years perfect viewing time..
i do not think the time is a issue for example i am a yankee fan and we have 7:00pm games during weekdays for years and home games on the weekend unless there nationally televised have been at 1:00pm at yankee stadium for years if it works for baseball why cant it work for hockey..
Need Sorokin to have a huge bounce back season last two seasons have been sub-par…909 two years ago and .907 last year nothing to write home about. Duclair needs to have a short leash. Hopefully he actually plays both sides of the puck this year, again real short leash. Mayfield I was surprised he did not get moved (probably nobody wanted him), his last two years have been pretty brutal to watch. Let's stay healthy and get some puck luck! Go Islanders!
Good 🌄, Gil. How are you? I can't wait to 👀 what the schedule looks like. Cal Clutteruck looks at the changes. The 🏡 games start at 7:00. The home opener is on 10/11 against the Capitals, featuring Oveckhin, and they go to Pittsburgh to face Crosby. When do they face the rest of the Division, especially the dreaded Rangers and the Flyers. There's a rumor that the Islanders and the 🦣 are working out a deal to get Barzy. That's a tough one. I think Patrick Roy will do what he has to do for the 👍 of the team. I think Lane Lambert has learned his lesson. He has a good young team to work with in Seattle. I don't think that they'll trade Barzy. You've to be at least 18 to sign a professional contract petiod. Dinelle Prokorov. He didn't get much attention during the draft. He's a big kid, he can get physical, and he can put the puck in the net. HAPPY 🎂, TROTS. Drafted in 1974. He won the Calder trophy, the Ross 🏆, the Hart 🏆, the Conn Smythe 🏆, and the King Clancy 🏆. A HOFER, Both in the NHL, and in the SK.
He's one of the 100 🐐 of the NHL. He's the 3 C's CALM. 😎, AND COLLECTED. He joined 50 goals in 1981-1982. He scored 2 goals and 3 assists 2 those with his partner in crime, Mike Bossy in a blowout of the Maple 🍁. Of course, there was some revenge involved, and #18 said it best everytime the Maple 🍁 messed up. The Islanders were like vultures with Trots, the head vulture ready to pick them clean. I listened to 🌙 Before 🎄 Eve Game last 🌙. I'll listen to it on 3 occasions. 1. When it's his 🎂, 2. When it's 🎄,and 3. When there was a ⏲️ when the Islanders could 🏃♀️ the dreaded Rangers out of the Coliseum. Hear from you later, Gil. There's more, but when it comes to Trots, I'm like the Energizer 🐰, I CAN'T ✋️. Now, LETS GO, ISLANDERS.
Good morning team! Gil, these 2 seven game road trips goes to show how much the NHL dislikes this team. During the season, we are going to need help as it is. I just checked the schedule and we have a 5, 6, and 7 game home stand this season. Overall, doesn't look too bad. I'm definitely not a fan of the 2 seven game road trips. Happy Birthday Bryan Trottier! I know it was extremely difficult to pick his greatest Islander moment. WOW, that was a hockey team! Speaking on Prokhorov, at his size, what kind of reach does this kid have? When these kids finally make it to the NHL level, they are all going to be fun to watch. Everyone, have a great day and weekend! See you all again Monday. Until then.. Let's Go Islanders!!
Thus far, I give Mathieu Darche a grade of a B. Here's why he only gets a B: He, against his better judgment, resigned palmieri, did not trade Pageau for much needed assets and/or picks and dumping salary. He didn't kick the tires on moving Lee and his cost prohibitive contract for salary cap relief. He brought in the oft injured guy from Colorado who had a bad attitude with Tampa Bay and Montreal. He didn't fire chris lamoriello and pellegrini. He didn't get rid of kyle maclean, and he didn't trade duclair. What I like: He resigned Boqvist and DeAngelo to team friendly one year deals to solidify the D. Took Schaefer in the first round. Moved the over rated Dobson for two mid first round picks. Bottom line: This team should be a lottery pick team again next season. A full rebuild should have been implemented from the get go. If he's gonna allow Roy to ride Sorokin, and his chronic back problem, for over 40 games this season, he's gonna ruin the guy. All the kvetching about the Sorokin rumors, and in reality, Sorokin should have been asked if and where he would accept a trade. And that includes Barzal and Horvat, who I like because they work their tales off. But let's be realistic, this team isn't gonna win the Stanley Cup. Therefore, do what scooby lou should have done when he first arrived not he scene: Allow Nelson and Lee to walk and start from scratch. Drouin, that's the guy's name, Drouin and I don't like his game. We shall see. A grade of B is generous.
7pm yes yes yes
The schedule is almost perfect. Back to 7pm starting times. Almost every home game is on the traditional Nassau Coliseum schedule Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. And the many back to backs will ensure we get another top 10 draft pick in the 2026 stacked NHL draft. Bite the bullet for another season, and wait for Jared Bednar to replace Patrick Roy, beginning 2026-27 season. Colorado isn't getting passed the first round with Brock Nelson on the roster. Did anybody else notice he disappeared during the playoffs? I'll gladly take Calum Ritchie and their number 2026 first round pick.
Those are 2 tough Road Trips and they will cover alot of mileage during those. LGI
Happy birthday Trots
Gil, am I the only one who's furious that ownership had the audacity to fire Chris King and Greg Picker? They've both done an outstanding job for many years. THEY are the voice of the Islanders, as far as i'm concerned. When Greg first started doing color commentary, for the Islanders, many were jealous that he got the job through his father who worked for the Islanders at the time. I had no problem with the hiring because Greg was always well prepared, and conducted himself like a professional. He has developed into a fine broadcaster, and he works very well with Kinger. I'm still holding out hope that malkin, and the rest of the ownership crew and management have successful lobotomies, and see the err of their ways. King and Picker need to be rehired for the radio broadcast. Pronto!
Roy is going to complain and moan about the schedule back to backs. And that type of attitude can and does permeate, go through the entire team and becomes the culture particularly when they're around it every day. All the teams play in the NHL obviously, they're all gonna have back to backs give or take the amount of times. But I'm sure all going roughly same or similar amount. Also gonna complain about the road trips. But what happens on the other side, if you have road trips, we're going to extended home stands. And as Gil alluded to if we're on the playoff race, we should and presumably do have a huge advantage down the stretch playing all those games at home.
And either way things are going to have to be overcome in every season by every team.
How are we going to be contenders, face and overcome obstacles against tough teams in the playoffs in the future, or maybe even this season, if we can't overcome them in the middle of the regular season?
And the obstacles in the playoffs tend to be bigger, and certainly the way they are handled, has bigger impacts and consequences because they are best of seven series, and you're playing tough competition and are not able to collect points by beating up on weak teams and by overtime loss, so the consequences are bigger even though some of them are not the same. Also we weren't a great home team last season anyway only two games above NHL .500 but really one game because if we lose one of those games where at .500. Slightly worse on the road at two under .500 but not that much of a difference, still would not have been in the playoffs if the road record was the same.
Gil I completely take your point about physical and mental maturity of players. However if they're close I totally agree with the questioner
because as you said you learn by doing you didn't necessarily say that that meant the NHL could be the AHL but I agree with the questionnaire you learn my view is and if Islanders management regardless of what they have said as you have said are not 1000% requiring making the playoffs as a measure of success this year then why not let them learn by doing. Or if they're competitive down the stretch after having almost a full year of experience and if they're still doing well to expose them to that slight uptick and pressure,and then next year when the Islanders are a playoff team these players, and again only the ones they are close, the ones that are not I completely take your point,
but next year they're not completely surprised and even shocked with what they are encountering because they've already been through it to a point and they've already been through some adversity and that produces confidence also especially as if I said they can play a little bit looser and have some extra freedom to make mistakes, because the team is willing to take some lumps and growing pains. As opposed to having to make those first year mistakes or maybe being shell shocked because the consequences are a lot higher or are higher because the team wants to make the playoffs or two years down the line perhaps is a competitive team and maybe making some noise in the playoffs, which makes everything more consequential obviously. As I'm writing this I'm listening to you and Danil Prokohov at 18 is already 6'5" and 209 pounds so in a year he'll put weight on and he might even grow still. As long as he can come over and he has a good year I think he should be in the AHL next year because also we need to find out about some of these players if we can, to inform what we're gonna do in the future transaction wise. Again there definitely is the mental and emotional side I definitely don't disagree with you, so it certainly case by case. But if Darche waits 3 to 5 years on all of these, and future draft picks he's going to be drafting players for the next General Manager. Particularly if he doesn't make some trades for some high-end talent like first line high and talent not to say that he's not going to but he hasn't yet and he has the same players that he's going to have to move, at least in the near future and expiring therefore you don't wanna let him, both of them walk and get nothing for him JG who for the production or lack thereof and I understand he does other things but he is definitely somewhat overpaid for what he gives the team and also Lee who is not likely to produce as he's produced last season so his value will go down, if that happens. And he is 35 and unlikely to re-sign at least as a good idea for the Islanders because if he re-signs we're re-sign a player who's 36+, etc. even though I and likely everybody really likes him as an islander.