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The New York Islanders bounced back from a loss to the New York Rangers with a home victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. In that win, a particular player continued to be a pleasant surprise for the Islanders.
Through four games, the Islanders hold a 2-2 record. They have performed well at home, especially considering they are missing one of their top forwards, Mathew Barzal. Being at .500 without Barzal is an encouraging sign, and the hope is he will return soon, as his skating is a positive indicator. However, expectations for the team going forward remain uncertain, with both good and bad aspects evident so far.
While the offseason was quiet in terms of upgrades, one move that has paid off is the signing of defenseman Logan Stanley just before the season began.
Stanley Has Exceeded Expectations
Despite being signed just before the season, Stanley has made a major impact. In four games, he has recorded four points, all assists. Recently, an injury to Alexander Romanov forced head coach Peter DeBoer to shuffle his defensive pairings. With Stanley playing well, he was promoted to the first pair alongside Matthew Schaefer. For a player who was just signed, this is a remarkable rise in a short time.
In the recent win against the Blackhawks, Stanley logged just under 24 minutes, and the combination of him and Schaefer looked really good. Stanley was coming off a career year in point production with both the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres. During the 2025-26 campaign, he totaled 26 points with nine goals and 17 assists. While Stanley isn't going to be a point-per-game player throughout the year, he is off to a hot start and has provided a major boost early on.
It will be interesting to see what DeBoer does with the defensive pairs going forward. However, it was a good audition for Stanley on the first pair, and if he keeps playing as he has, it could become a more permanent pairing.
Nick Ziegler is an alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting. He has been working in sports media covering the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL for nearly a decade with various publications online. He is currently the publisher for the New York Islanders On SI Site. With his free time, Nick enjoys being at the Jersey Shore with his wife, daughter, and their golden retriever. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @NickZiegler20.