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New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche did not make any noisy moves through trades and NHL free agency this summer.
His biggest addition, on the surface, came before last season ended, when he fired Patrick Roy with four games remaining and hired the widely respected Peter DeBoer as head coach.
Advertisement If the Islanders are going to make a jump into the Stanley Cup playoffs after a late-season collapse in 2025-26, the 58-year-old DeBoer who made three consecutive Western Conference finals with the Dallas Stars in his last stop will need to foster internal growth and make structural changes.
Im not throwing shade at last years team, because the record was very good and they had (91) points, but the foundation of their game as far as chances given up, they just bled way too many chances to really be successful long term in my eyes, DeBoer told The Athletic in an interview last week.
Thats something we have to address quickly.
For DeBoer, his end-of-season arrival served as a head start for 2026-27.
He was reluctant to accept the Islanders job with less than two weeks left in the season but now believes hes much further ahead because of it.
He gained familiarity with the local area and team facilities and was able to get an up-close look at his players, including Matthew Schaefer, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, whose speed he likes in the middle of the ice.
DeBoer even reached out to his predecessor a few days after his arrival on Long Island.
The new coach wanted everyone to have a fresh start under him, so the conversation with Roy revolved less around individual players and was more about the organization, staff and lifestyle that awaited him.
Were a small fraternity, DeBoer said.
Theres 32 jobs in the world for what we do at this level.
I think theres a lot of empathy amongst us for the situations were leaving and coming into.
DeBoer has spent most of his latest offseason in Ontario, but he also made trips to Dallas and Boston to attend World Cup soccer games.
He returned to New York, too, for the NHL Draft, free agency and development camp.
The expectations on DeBoer are different than they were when he took over his past two NHL teams.
The Vegas Golden Knights held championship aspirations from the moment they hired DeBoer in 2020, and the Stars were a playoff team less than two calendar years removed from reaching the Stanley Cup Final when he got that job in 2022.
The Islanders, meanwhile, have missed the playoffs each of the past two seasons.
Advertisement I dont think theres any doubt: a little different spot than those other teams, DeBoer said.
Having said that, the league has changed dramatically recently.
When you look at last year and the teams that missed and the teams that made the playoffs, I dont think anybody would have predicted some of the teams that missed.
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I think theres the ability for teams to make significant improvement quicker than maybe people think and also fall the other way quicker than people think.
His job is to make sure his new club takes a step in the right direction.
During his short period of time with New York last year, he met with the analytics team to view the full-season sample of numbers and identify what needs to change.
The coach mentioned its power play, which finished 30th in the league last season, and its defensive foundation as focal points heading into Septembers training camp.
I think we know what the problem is, he said.
Its not like Im having to go back and watch old tape again.
Ive seen enough old tape to this point of last years team.
We recognize what we have to fix.
The Islanders lost captain Anders Lee to free agency and didnt make any notable skater signings aside from winger Matias Maccelli, who went unqualified by Toronto.
But the team will get reinforcements in the returns of injured veterans Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov, who were kept to 25 and 15 games last year, respectively.
DeBoer said he talked to Palmieri every day at the end of last season because the winger was one of the first guys in there to rehab from his torn ACL.
He also remembers coaching against Romanov, then with Montreal, while behind Vegas bench during the 2021 conference final.
He stepped up and cracked a couple people with a couple big hits as a young guy, DeBoer said.
You always hate to play against guys like that that at any point are going to try to take a piece of you.
Advertisement Romanov had a difficult start to his season before getting hurt, notching only one point in 15 games.
If New York is going to threaten for a Metropolitan Division playoff spot, hell need to bounce back.
Romanov is not the only player looking to find a groove under a new coach.
Perhaps no one in the organization is more in need of a fresh start than Anthony Duclair, who has only 38 points in 106 games since signing a four-year deal with the Islanders in 2024.
The 30-year-old entered the summer as a candidate for a trade, or potentially even a buyout, but remains on the roster.
My conversations with Duke at the end of the year and in exit meetings were just: clean slate and come to camp and ready to prove what you can do and how you can help us, DeBoer said.
I remember the Duclair in Florida that had (around) 60 points and was effective every night.
Thats going to be the challenge: for him to bring the best version of himself to camp.
DeBoer also mentioned winger Pierre Engvall, who missed the season after hip and ankle surgeries, as another guy whos going to be healthy thats going to get an opportunity to see how he can help us.
For players such as Duclair and Engvall, its easy to see the room for growth.
For someone such as Schaefer, who had as good a rookie season as the Islanders could have dreamed of, its harder to pinpoint ways in which he needs to be better.
But DeBoer believes the young defenseman can build on 2025-26, when he had 23 goals and won the Calder Trophy, even if it wont be easy.
Hes going to get a lot more attention from other teams, he said.
Expectations are obviously higher, which puts a lot more pressure on the individual.
I cant tell you how excited I am about his potential and being able to work with him.
DeBoer mentioned working with superstars Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar as an assistant for Team Canada at the 2026 Milan Olympics, and described Schaefer as the next wave of that type of player.
He also views Schaefer as having leadership potential, and there will be opportunities for players to step up in that regard with Lees departure.
Advertisement I think hes already a respected voice in that dressing room, DeBoer said.
Having said that, hes an 18, 19-year-old player, and hes got an awful lot on his plate individually.
Will he be part of our (leadership) group? Absolutely, he will, and I think hes got future captain written all over him.
But I think we have to be very careful not to put too much on his plate too early.
DeBoer said he doesnt yet know if the Islanders will have a captain this season.
I want to spend training camp with the group again, get a little more feel for the players and the options, he said.
Then well make some decisions.
Darche already made his big one in regard to leadership, trusting DeBoers experience and tactical prowess to get the Islanders back on track.
The coach is eager for the challenge.
Im really excited about the names on the paper in front of me that Im going to get a chance to work with and hopefully make a difference with, DeBoer said.