Coach Patrick Roy said the disciplinary move will last only one game and that the speedy center will be back in the lineup when the Islanders visit the Washington Capitals on Friday. Barzal did take part in the morning skate after his late arrival, but Erik Heineman replaced him on the top power-play unit.

“That’s the culture of our team, we made the decision to not play him tonight,” Roy explained. “Barzal doesn’t feel good about it, but he respects and understands it.

“Like I said to him, it happened to me when I was in Colorado. Different way, but (I) missed a practice, missed two games. That’s the culture of our team; we believe in it. But he’s good about it. He’s very good about it.”

Barzal out tonight. He’s healthy. Roy says discipline for being late to the rink today. He’ll play tomorrow in DC

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) October 30, 2025

New general manager Mathieu Darche has said he wants to create a new culture with the Isles. He comes from the Tampa Bay Lightning, where top-line center Brayden Point was scratched for similar reasons last season.

The Rangers likely wouldn’t mind if Barzal were out of the lineup when the Islanders come to Madison Square Garden on Nov. 8. He has 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 31 career games against the Blueshirts. That’s nine more points than he has against any other NHL opponent– even though he missed all four games against the Rangers in 2024-25 because of injuries, including a broken kneecap on Feb. 1 that ended his season.

Barzal has two goals and eight points in nine games this season, and averages 21:09 TOI, second among Isles forwards behind Bo Horvat (21:16).

Roy reportedly did not answer whether the policy of scratching a player for being late to the rink is new as of this season.

“I can’t go back to how things were in the past, but I know how things are today,” he said, according to the New York Post. “I think everybody knows now.”

But his next response indicated that changes are being made under Darche, who took over as GM after the Isles decided not to renew the contract of Lou Lamoriello.

“No, it’s not my standard,” he said. “It’s the organization’s standard.”

Injuries limited Barzal to 30 games last season, when he finished with six goals and 20 points. In 539 NHL games, he has 470 points (136 goals, 334 assists). He had one assist on Tuesday, when the Islanders lost 5-2 to the Bruins in Boston.

Barzal is the Islanders’ highest-paid player, according to PuckPedia, carrying a cap hit of $9.15 million through the 2030-31 season.

The 28-year-old center was selected by the Islanders in the first round (No. 16 overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He won the Calder Trophy as the League’s top rookie in 2017-18 but has never reached the 85 points he put up in his first season.

Two nights after failing to hold a three-goal advantage and losing 5-4 in overtime to the Boston Bruins, they blew a a 4-2 lead to the New York Islanders on Thursday night and went home with a second straight 5-4 loss.

“No,” center Vincent Trocheck said when asked if there was anything the Rangers could take away from back-to-back preseason losses like this, then added simply, “don’t let it happen.”

Right place, right time.

Laba with the feed + Brett buries it. pic.twitter.com/O9FsHCQX59

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 25, 2025

The Blueshirts allowed their suburban rivals to score twice in 23 seconds late in the first period, then roared back with three goals of their own in a 2:31 span to take a 3-2 lead.

For most of the first two periods, the Rangers played the kind of what Trocheck called the “direct, in-your-face hockey” that new coach Mike Sullivan has been preaching. Trocheck had a goal and an assist, impressive rookie center Noah Laba had his fourth assist in three games and new captain J.T. Miller, wearing the “C” for the first time at the Garden, scored the second of the Rangers’ two power-play goals to make it 4-2 through 40 minutes.

Let it fly, J.T. pic.twitter.com/IYqKAfjlrN

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 26, 2025

But things fell apart in the third period after Sullivan replaced Jonathan Quick with Dylan Garand, who figures to begin the season as the No. 1 goalie in AHL Hartford. Garand didn’t look particularly good on Cameron Berg’s goal at 6:59 of the third period that made it 4-3 and didn’t get much help from his defense on Glem Yeremyev’s second of the night that tied the game with 4:43 remaining.

The Isles went ahead 57 seconds later when Garand whiffed on Kyle Palmieri’s soft backhander that rolled up his arm and into the net to put the Islanders ahead.

Palmieri’s goal was the only one scored by an Islander who figures to begin the season with the parent club, as the Islanders left most of their regulars back on the Island in anticipation of Friday night’s home game against the New Jersey Devils.

Palmieri gave us the lead! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/e2B7WV7uol

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 26, 2025

Sullivan said postgame there wasn’t a common thread between the two losses.

“I think it happened two completely different ways,” he said. “But that’s certainly not something that we want to have happen too often. We’ve got to do a better job of controlling momentum and playing with a lead.”

The coach was happy with the performance of some of his young players and said the biggest goal of the preseason is “trying to find out what we have. We’ll try to make the best decisions for the team.

“I think we’re excited about some of these young players that are potentially knocking on the door, (who) could break through. That’s what this preseason is all about — just trying to find out what we have.”

The Rangers have a three-day break before a return match against the Islanders at UBS Arena on Monday. In the interim, expect Sullivan and his staff to work his group on how to hold third-period leads.

New York Rangers news and analysis

Laba’s performance continues to draw notice. The latest to praise him was Trocheck, who said after the game that the 22-year-old center “has kind of come out of nowhere and really stood out, in my opinion. He’s making it tough on these guys to make decisions on the roster for opening night.” Sullivan said earlier this week that “we’re certainly encouraged by what we’ve seen so far.”

Unlike last year, the Rangers have no one in Sportsnet’s Top 23 Players Under 23 list, which is headed by Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the first player taken in the 2025 NHL Draft. Gabe Perreault was No. 13 last year but is no longer eligible because he’s played five NHL games. Three of the Rangers’ Metropolitan Division rivals – the Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals – are among the six teams with two players on the list.

NHL news and rumors

Sportsnet: Coach Paul Maurice said Friday that Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov was having surgery on his right knee after he was injured at practice Thursday and had to be helped off the ice. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Panthers are bracing for the possibility that he could miss the entire season. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champs are already missing star forward Matthew Tkachuk (sports hernia/groin; out until at least December) and fourth-line center Tomas Nosek (knee).

Associated Press: Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn will have surgery for a collapsed lung. The 36-year-old forward was injured during the Stars’ preseason game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday. He’ll be re-evaluated in four weeks. Benn is set to enter his 17th NHL season, all with the Stars.

TSN: The Montreal Canadiens’ biggest offseason acquisition, defenseman Noah Dobson, left Thursday’s 7-2 preseason loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs after two periods and did not return. TSN reported after the game that Dobson and fellow defenseman Kaiden Guhle are day to day with groin injuries.

Le défenseur Noah Dobson ne reviendra pas au jeu ce soir.

Defenseman Noah Dobson will not return to play tonight.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) September 26, 2025

Sportsnet: Mitch Marner had an assist in his preseason debut for the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, setting up Jack Eichel’s third-period goal to begin a comeback that led to a 3-2 overtime win against the visiting Utah Mammoth. Marner made a nice backhand pass from behind the goal line to the slot for Eichel, who said afterward that, “There’s not a lot of people in the world who can make that pass.”

NHL.com: Alex Ovechkin skated on his own for the third consecutive day Thursday, continuing his recovery from a lower-body injury. Coach Spencer Carbery said he could join the Capitals for practice for the end of this week. Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leader with 897 goals, missed the second of Washington’s six preseason games against the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, but Carbery hopes he’ll be able to play two preseason games before the regular season begins.

Boston Hockey Now: The Bruins hired longtime captain Zdeno Chara last season; now they’ve finally given him a title and responsibilities. Chara, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2025, will serve as a hockey operations adviser and mentor; he will work closely with both players and staff to advise the organization in key areas. The Bruins say his main responsibilities will include building relationships and strengthening communication between players and coaches, attending practices and home games, and providing off-ice development support to defensemen. 

The No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, who turned 18 less than three weeks ago, drew rave reviews from far and wide after the Isles’ 3-2 shootout loss (in 11 rounds) to the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena.

“He’s going to be one of, if not the best defensemen in the League, I think, based off his instincts,” Islanders center Mathew Barzal stated postgame. “He’s got it.”

Barzal, of course, knows a thing or two about breaking into the NHL and achieving stardom right away. As a 20-year-old in 2017-18, Barzal put up 85 points (22 goals, 63 assists) and won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

Matthew Schaefer loooks good in blue and orange 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/O5EDJaA5ml

— Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) September 22, 2025

Islanders fans certainly love hearing that kind of talk. They welcomed their new hero by loudly cheering for Schaefer and chanting his name throughout his (unofficial) NHL debut.

“Definitely got shivers,” the youngster admitted afterward. “We thought it was for [defense partner Scott Mayfield], but I guess it was for me. Obviously, you get chills.”

Of course, the chants will be quite different when Schaefer crosses over into Manhattan to play at Madison Square Garden, which could happen as early as Thursday night when the Rangers host their biggest rival in a preseason game. After all, you know how another former No. 1 overall pick who played defense for the Islanders is treated to this day by the Blueshirts Faithful.

We suppose you’ve heard of Denis Potvin, the first player taken in the 1973 draft. Rangers fans still haven’t forgotten him.

Like Potvin, Schaefer has the potential to be a major pain in the butt for the Rangers for years to come.

Related: Key Rangers takeaways from 5-3 win against Devils in preseason opener

Rangers rival has star in the making with Matthew Schaefer

Palmieri nets it! Schaefer and Mayfield with the assists! pic.twitter.com/WPr6iEogG3

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 22, 2025

Schaefer logged 24:39 total TOI and recorded an assist on the Islanders’ first goal of the contest, scored by veteran forward Kyle Palmieri. He skated a majority of his shifts next to Mayfield and tied for the team lead with five shots on goal.

His role in the preseason contest was far from limited. He earned 1:23 power-play TOI and 2:06 on the PK, not to mention he took the fourth shot in the shootout for the Islanders. 

Schaefer also opened eyes with an incredible backcheck, chasing down Flyers scoring sensation Matvei Michkov in overtime.

Just an absolutely insane defensive backcheck from Matthew Schaefer on Matvei Michkov 😱

In the first overall pick’s first NHL game too 😳

(via @OSulr81) pic.twitter.com/CqRBhSJOdg

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) September 22, 2025

“I thought he was really good … It’s pretty exciting to see him play,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “The backcheck that he made against their guy on the breakaway [in overtime], it was out of this world.”

Of course, the adjustment to the big leagues comes with some growing pains. The excited youngster took two penalties and, on his second shift, sent an errant pass that directly resulted in a Flyers goal.

But overall it was an impressive debut.

Related: Alexis Lafreniere eager to rebound under new Rangers coach Mike Sullivan

“It was fun to watch. He’s only 18 years old, but it’s pretty impressive to see him play the way he’s playing,” Roy said. “The fans love him.” 

Schaefer was the first of three first-round picks in the 2025 draft; they added forward Viktor Eklund with the No. 16 selection and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson at No. 17 following a trade that sent their best offensive defenseman. Noah Dobson, to the Montreal Canadiens.

Rangers fans may get their first look at Schaefer this week. It won’t be their last.

Day’s NHL career consists of the two games he played with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2021-22; he had no points or shots on goal, was minus-2 and took one minor penalty. The Lightning had signed him as a free agent in July 2020, but except for the cup of coffee in ’21-22, his time in the Bolts’ organization consisted of four mostly nondescript seasons with Syracuse, their AHL affiliate.

He played the 2024-25 season with HV71 in the Swedish Hockey League, finishing with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 45 games, before returning to North America.

Transaction: The Bridgeport Islanders have signed defenseman Sean Day to an AHL contract.

➡️ https://t.co/3oxaxxp6Go pic.twitter.com/Q1VidAzV7e

— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) August 6, 2025

Day may have had an “in” with the Isles; their recently hired general manager, Mathieu Darche, was Tampa Bay’s director of hockey operations and assistant general manager before coming to Long Island, so he obviously had some idea of Day’s ability. It’s likely that the Islanders signed Day to provide some experience on the blue line for a team that crashed and burned in the AHL standings last season but has talented defense prospects such as Isaiah George and Jesse Pulkkinen.

No one could have had an inkling 12 years ago that Day’s career would see him scrambling for a job in his late 20s.

Day was born in Belgium but lived in Singapore, Canada and the United States as a child and played minor hockey in suburban Detroit. He was good enough that on March 21, 2013, he became the fourth player granted exceptional player status by Hockey Canada – the first three others were John Tavares (2005), Aaron Ekblad (2011) and Connor McDavid (2012); five more players have since been given this status.

2016 Rangers draft pick signs with Islanders’ AHL affiliate

That made him eligible to be drafted a year early in the 2013 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection and to play major junior hockey as a 15-year-old. He was taken by Mississauga with the fourth pick. The Rangers selected him in the 2016 draft, and he signed with them in March 2017 after being traded to Windsor in October 2016. He helped the Spitfires win the Memorial Cup not long after signing with New York; his coach then was Rocky Thompson, who will be his coach at Bridgeport.

Day began his pro career in the fall of 2018 with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. But after a slow start, he was demoted to the Maine Mariners of the ECHL. He played well enough in his 19 games with the Mariners to be selected to play in the ECHL All-Star Game, but he was promoted back to Hartford before it took place.

The 2019-20 season again saw Day begin with Hartford. But after putting up just four points in 16 games, he was demoted to Maine, where he remained until the remainder of the season was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

New York #Rangers have placed defenseman Sean Day on 'Unconditional Waivers' for the purpose of contract termination.

Day had 1 year remaining on his Entry Level contract with NY.https://t.co/uDvNTP3Woz https://t.co/TYXOuTjD2Y

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 30, 2020

The Rangers decided they had seen enough and on May 30, they placed him on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination. He cleared waivers the following day and the remaining year of his contract was terminated.

The Lightning signed him to a one-year, two-way contract on July 17, 2020, but he played all of the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season with Syracuse. The Lightning re-signed him, and he had his best offensive season in 2021-22, finishing with 40 points (eight goals, 32 assists) in 69 games.

He also got his first taste of the NHL, making his debut against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 28, 2021, and dressing for the Bolts’ game against the Florida Panthers two nights later before being returned to Syracuse.

Day stayed with the Lightning organization through the 2023-24 season before signing a two-year contract with HV71 last summer. But did little offensively, though he did help the team avoid relegation to Sweden’s second division.

But few players in Rangers history have had the kind of first season that the younger brother of then-captain Dave Maloney enjoyed. Maloney, now the president of hockey operations with the Calgary Flames, talked about it with Forever Blueshirts executive editor Jim Cerny on their recent Rink Rap podcast.

Don Maloney was the Rangers’ second-round pick, No. 26 overall, in the 1978 NHL Draft. The Rangers sent him to the New Haven, then their AHL farm team, after training camp, but he didn’t stay there long.

“I got assigned out of training camp to go to New Haven, which I was happy to do,” he said, “and I broke my thumb in a fight in the last preseason game of all things, so I had to come to [New York] to have it checked out two or three weeks later.

“So, I jumped on a train in New Haven, took it to Penn Station, got off the train, ran upstairs, jumped in a cab, and said ‘Take me to Madison Square Garden!’ The guy looked at me like ‘Hey buddy, c’mon, this is New York, get the hell out, we’re here.’ So, that was my debut coming into The Garden.”

His on-ice debut at MSG came on Feb. 14, 1979, following the 11-day break in the schedule for the Challenge Cup series against the Soviet Union. Not only would he be making his NHL debut against the Boston Bruins, he would be playing with his brother – and on a line with one of the NHL’s all-time greats.

Don Maloney remembers magical rookie season, playing at MSG

“That year, everything came together for me,” he said. “I got called back up in February, Phil Esposito was kind of searching for [linemates], and Donny Murdoch came back, and we all just clicked together, and really had a magical run. That really was the pinnacle of my career.”

Maloney needed just 5:14 of his NHL debut to score his first goal – it came on his first shot. His first assist came 46 seconds later, when he had the primary helper on a goal by Esposito. The Rangers went on to win 5-1, the first time they had beaten the Bruins (who’d lost to the Montreal Canadiens in each of the previous two Stanley Cup Finals, since March 23, 1975).

The line of Esposito, Maloney and Murdoch was quickly dubbed “The Mafia Line” – two “Dons” and a “Godfather” (Esposito). The trio helped the Rangers make the playoffs and upset the regular-season champion Islanders in the Semifinals to reach the Final for the first time since 1972. But after an easy 4-1 win in Game 1 at the Forum, the Rangers ran out of gas – the Canadiens won four straight games and earned their fourth straight championship.

Still, it was a year to remember for a 20-year-old.

“It was a magical year; we were so close,” Maloney remembered. “We go up 1-0 in the Final, go up 2-0 in Game 2 and we just didn’t close it out. It’s the last time I’ve been with a team in the Final, in all the years I’ve stayed in hockey. It’s either I’m really bad at what I do, or it’s really hard to do.

“I’ll never forget after those five games (in the 1979 Final), I was so exhausted — it was like, you know what, we’ll just win it next year. It was automatic in my mind, we were winning it next year. It’s not even going to be close. Then things happen. Changes are made.”

Alas for Maloney and the Rangers, the Islanders had other plans. The Isles won the next four Stanley Cup championships before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984 Final. The Rangers lost to their suburban rivals four straight times – including an overtime loss in the fifth and deciding game of the first round in 1984 after Maloney had tied the game in the final minute of regulation.

“We had some good runs in the ’80s,” he said. “Of course, the Islanders were the powerhouse in the early eighties … I’m still chasing it, still trying to win the Cup at 66.”

Maloney was part of the 1986 team that rode the goaltending of John Vanbiesbrouck to the conference finals, where they lost to the Canadiens. The Rangers traded him to the Whalers in December 1988. The Islanders signed him as a free agent in the summer of 1989, and he retired in November 1990, finishing his career with 564 points (214 goals, 350 assists) in 765 games.

But the next phase of Maloney’s hockey career was just beginning. He was named general manager of the Islanders in the summer of 1992, and the Isles advanced to the conference final in 1993, his first season as GM. They barely qualified for the playoffs in 1993-94, earning a matchup with the Rangers, who had won the Presidents’ Trophy.

The Isles had gone 2-1 with two ties against the Blueshirts in the regular season, but this series was a complete Rangers blowout. They started the series with back-to-back 6-0 wins and outscored the Islanders 22-3 in a four-game sweep.

“One thing I learned with this big a rivalry — once you’re in the rink, all bets are off,” Maloney said. “I remember going in with the Isles thinking ‘we can beat this team, we’re good.’ But they really manhandled us that series. It was really men against boys.

“As (general) manager of the Islanders, that’s probably the worst thing that could’ve happened. It’s one thing if somebody else wins the Cup, … that was tough for all of us on the Island. It’s one thing for Chicago to win the Cup, but when the Rangers won it, it was like ‘Who’s in charge of this mess? Maloney! Ex-Ranger, what are you doing here?!’

Maloney joined the Rangers as assistant GM under Neil Smith in 1996 and stayed with them until 2007. He then spent nine seasons as GM with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, winning the General Manager of the Year award in 2010, then served as a scout for the Flames before being promoted to his current position.

It’s been more than 35 years since Maloney took the ice at Madison Square Garden in a Rangers uniform. The memories of those days after still with him.

“My memory is the crowd and how loud it was on the ice in the playoffs, where we had some series against Philly or the Islanders, and how there were times I would come back off the ice and my ears were popping because it was so loud and the fans were on top of it,” he said. “It really was an exciting atmosphere.”

More than anything else, he remembers the Garden Faithful and the way they supported the team.

“I can’t pick (a greatest moment),” he said. “The playoff runs we had, we had a good run in ’86, we had our moments in the early ’80s when we got to the Semifinals. But my whole thing with the Garden was coming out on the ice at the start of the game. I used to always really enjoy that because you could just feel the energy in the building. They were ready to go and they were behind you.

“There were some individual games where I got a few goals or whatever. But when I look back on the Rangers, it really was just more the aura of the building and the crowd, and just how much they were into it. Everyone should experience that. To be in New York, it’s pretty special.”

“We’re going to beat the Rangers every time we play them,” defenseman Matthew Schaefer said Friday night after the Islanders made him the first player taken in the draft, highlighting a day that saw the Rangers’ archrivals trade their best defenseman before making three of the first 17 picks.

Recently hired general manager Mathieu Darche started the retooling of the Islanders by trading Noah Dobson, a restricted free agent defenseman, to the Montreal Canadiens for 23-year-old forward Eric Heineman and the 16th and 17th picks in the first round of this year’s draft. A few hours later — and after the Canadiens signed Dobson to an eight-year, $76 million contract — the Isles surprised no one by selecting Schaefer, a defenseman with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League, with the No. 1 pick in the draft. They capped their night by taking two more promising young players with the picks they received from Montreal for Dobson.

Schaefer (6-foot-2, 186 pounds), is the second player from Erie to be chosen first overall. The other was center Connor McDavid, who went No. 1 to the Edmonton Oilers in 2015.

“It’s such an honor, and especially the first overall pick, Mathieu Darche’s first pick,” Schaefer said. “So happy for him to get the GM job, and very honored to be his pick. But I’ve heard so many great things about the organization, the team, the players. I know (Islanders center) Bo Horvat really well. … They have very skilled players, so I can’t wait to get there this week and train. I’m looking forward to it.”

A nice touch from the New York Islanders 💜

(h/t @AlanFuehring) pic.twitter.com/c2kWsPDfJ6

— BarDown (@BarDown) June 27, 2025

Darche was thrilled to land the consensus No. 1 player available this year.

“Matthew the hockey player is outstanding,” he said. “The human being is as outstanding as the hockey player. We’re so excited to have him here.”

And clearly Schaefer is fired up to join the local rivalry against the Rangers.

Related: Why Rangers draft history since 2000 not pretty without 1st-round pick

Rangers rivals trade Noah Dobson, take Matthew Schaefer No. 1 in draft

The Islanders hope Schaefer, their first No. 1 overall pick since John Tavares in 2009, will be able to step into Dobson’s skates next season. They’d be thrilled if he turned out like the only defenseman they’ve taken with any of their five No. 1 overall picks. Denis Potvin, the first player taken in the 1973 draft, tortured the Rangers during a 15-year career that included four Stanley Cup championships and ended with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

You may have heard those chants of “Potvin sucks!” at Madison Square Garden.

There was a lot of speculation that the Isles would try to use the two first-rounders they obtained from Montreal to grab James Hagens, a center from Boston College and a Long Island native who grew up an Islanders fan. Though fans at the Islanders’ draft party were chanting his name, Hagens went to the Boston Bruins with the No. 7 pick.

Instead, Darche opted to keep the two picks he acquired from Montreal and selected forward Victor Eklund of Djurgarden in Sweden’s second division with the No. 16 pick. He’s the brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund and played for Sweden at the World Junior Championship in 2024 and 2025. Eklund will need to get stronger to enable him to make the most of his plentiful skills and hockey smarts, and he said he plans to return to Sweden after attending development camp in July.

They used the No. 17 pick on another defenseman, taking Kashawn Aitcheson from Barrie of the OHL. Aitcheson’s physicality and style of play are reminiscent of former Rangers captain Jacob Trouba – he plays with the kind of edge NHL teams love, is a good skater and has good hands and hockey smarts.

Aitcheson looks like he has all the tools to be a top-four NHL defenseman, although he’s likely to need at least one more season in juniors.

The Rangers were one of 12 teams that didn’t have a first-round pick.Their first pick will be No. 43, the 11th choice in the second round on Saturday.

New York owned the No. 12 pick in the draft, but opted to send it to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who had acquired it from Vancouver after the Canucks obtained it in the Jan. 31 trade that brought center J.T. Miller to the Rangers. The Penguins opted to trade it to the Philadelphia Flyers for two lower picks in the opening round, Nos. 22 and 31. The Flyers used the choice to select Jack Nesbitt, a center from Windsor of the OHL.

The Leafs announced the decision to cut ties with Shanahan on Thursday. That was one day after they reportedly granted permission for Shanahan, whose Hall of Fame playing career included a two-season stint with the Rangers, to speak with the Islanders about a front office role.

“Over the past 11 seasons, Brendan Shanahan has made countless contributions to the Toronto Maple Leafs on the ice, off the ice and in the community,” Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment president & CEO Keith Pelley said in announcing the decision. “Brendan is one of the most respected leaders in the game and he has instilled many of the traits that were the signature of his Hall of Fame career throughout the organization, uniting this storied franchise in the ‘Honour, Pride and Courage’ that it was founded on.

“Our responsibility and driving motivation, however, is to add a new chapter to the Maple Leafs’ championship history, and it was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead. The franchise will be forever grateful for Brendan’s contributions and wish him and his family every success and happiness in the future.”

Toronto’s decision not to retain Shanahan after 11 years came four days after the Maple Leafs’ season ended with a 6-1 home loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of their second-round series. It also came exactly one month after the Islanders, told president and general manager Lou Lamoriello that his contract wouldn’t be renewed.

Shanahan was believed to be in the hot seat after Toronto failed to get out of the second round again. He’s served as their top executive since 2014 – and hired Lamoriello as GM a year later. Lamoriello left in May 2018 to go to the Islanders after the Maple Leafs wanted to move him from GM to senior adviser.

Toronto made the Stanley Cup Playoffs for nine straight seasons under Shanahan but has gotten beyond the opening round just twice. That includes this season, when they blew a 2-0 series lead to the Panthers under first-year coach Craig Berube and second-year GM Craig Treliving. The Maple Leafs haven’t reached the conference final since 2002 nor reached the Final since 1967, the last time they won the Stanley Cup.

“While I am proud of the rebuild we embarked on starting in 2014, ultimately, I came here to help win the Stanley Cup, and we did not,” Shanahan said in a statement. “There is nothing more I wanted to deliver to our fans, and my biggest regret is that we could not finish the job.”

Shanahan spent two seasons with the Rangers, putting up 52 goals and 108 points in 140 games from 2006-08. He helped them reach the playoffs in both seasons and had his final NHL hat trick with the Rangers against the Islanders on Dec. 3, 2006.

He finished his playing career with the New Jersey Devils in 2008-09 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. Shanahan won the Stanley Cup three times with the Detroit Red Wings and finished his career with 656 goals and 1,354 points in 1,524 games. He is 14th all-time in goals, 28th in points and 20th in games played.

The 56-year-old signed a six-year contract extension with the Maple Leafs in May 2019. But after another playoff disappointment, ownership decided it was time for a change – especially with star forwards Mitchell Marner and John Tavares eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1.

Marner is expected by many to leave as a free agent, while Tavares – who bolted from the Islanders to the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2018 – said he wants to stay.

Related: ‘Stock has definitely risen’ on potential Rangers free-agent target Adam Gaudette

Leafs won’t re-up president Brendan Shanahan, paving way for front office role with Islanders

NHL analyst Nick Kypreos told Sportsnet Central earlier this week that there was a good chance Shanahan’s job could be eliminated.

“Make no mistake, over the course of 10 years, this has been Brendan Shanahan’s team,” the former Rangers forward said. “He’s the one that hired (ex-GM) Kyle Dubas. He’s the one at the end of the day who changed coaches … all of it fell on the watch of Brendan Shanahan. I think there was a level of respect for Brendan over his playing career, to give him an opportunity.

“He’s lived it. He’s won championships on Detroit — surely he can find a way to get the right mix, the right players, the right character together to win a Stanley Cup. But now that he’s doubled down and tripled down on the core (players) and they didn’t come through, there’s going to be a level of changes. We’ll see where ownership now goes with this whole role of a president. Maybe they don’t need one. Maybe they move on from Brendan Shanahan and don’t replace a president.”

Despite this season’s disappointment, Shanahan’s time in Toronto was an overall success – the Maple Leafs were a tire fire when he got there. The Islanders haven’t said anything about hi, but it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t attract interest from a franchise that missed the playoffs this season and hasn’t won a postseason series since 2021.

Lamoriello’s successor, whether it’s Shanahan or someone else, takes over a team that owns the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft next month after winning the lottery (the Rangers will pick No. 12). There’s also an excellent goaltender (Ilya Sorokin) and a couple of talented defensemen (Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov).

But the Islanders are also loaded with long-term contracts for players whose best years are behind them. Also, their talent pipeline is just beginning to refill after Lamoriello traded away multiple first-round picks in the early 2020s.

The Islanders reportedly were interested in longtime NHL general manager Ken Holland and ex-Rangers GM Jeff Gorton, now the executive vice president of hockey operations for the Montreal Canadiens. But Holland took the GM job with the Los Angeles Kings, and the Canadiens refused to give the Islanders permission to talk to Gorton.

The Islanders reportedly interviewed former NHL GMs Jarmo Kekalainen and Marc Bergevin, as well as Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche. The Hockey News reported Monday that Bergevin and Darche each had a second interview with the Islanders.

But it’s unlikely that any of those three would get both titles – meaning that there could be an opening for Shanahan, who knows many of New York’s staff, mostly though his connections with Lamoriello. He also has a relationship with Isles executive John Collins from their time working at the NHL before Shanahan left to go to the Leafs.

Shanahan’s stature could help the Islanders do one thing they’ve never been able to do – bring in a marquee free agent. With the shine of a new building wearing off UBS Arena after four seasons, the Islanders have to do something to keep the turnstiles spinning. Bringing in Shanahan, and perhaps a solid GM under him if he doesn’t want both jobs, could be just what they need.

No replacement was announced. The Islanders said operating partner John Collins will lead a search to find the next GM.

“The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years,” the team said in a statement. “His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career.”

#Isles News: The New York Islanders organization announced today that Lou Lamoriello's contract as President and General Manager will not be renewed. Effective immediately, Operating Partner John Collins will lead a search to find the next General Manager.

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 22, 2025

The Islanders missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, finishing 35-35-12 while dealing with a host of injuries to key players. Their most dynamic forward, Mathew Barzal, was limited to 30 games and didn’t play after sustaining a broken kneecap Feb. 1. The defense corps was so injury-riddled that the Islanders at times had three players (Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist) on the blue line who weren’t with the team for the first half of the season.

They were officially eliminated from playoff contention with a 4-3 shootout loss at the Philadelphia Flyers on April 12 and finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division. Special teams were a huge problem – the Islanders were 31st on both the power play (72.2 percent) and penalty kill (72.2 percent).

Notorious among Islanders fans for doubling down on his aging core, Lamoriello finally gave in a little this season, when he traded veteran center Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche and received highly-regard forward prospect Calum Ritchie and a conditional 2026 first-round draft pick in return.

Related: Why GM Chris Drury deserves much blame for doomed Rangers season

Rangers nemesis Lou Lamoriello out as Islanders GM

The Islanders were a mess when they brought in Lamoriello to run the team on May 22, 2018. They finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of only the Rangers, and surrendered an NHL-worst 296 goals in 2017-18.

But Lamoriello quickly turned things around, hiring Barry Trotz as coach just weeks after Trotz led the Washington Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship. Despite losing star center John Tavares to free agency in July 2018, the Islanders made the playoffs in 2018-19 and swept the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round before being swept by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Islanders then advanced to the Stanley Cup Semifinals in 2020 and 2021, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six and seven games, respectively. Their 1-0 loss to the Lightning in Game 7 during the 2021 postseason was the closest they came to returning to the Stanley Cup Final since their glory days in the early 1980s, when the Islanders won four consecutive championships before losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984 Final.

They missed the playoffs in 2021-22, partly because they were forced to begin the season with a 13-game road trip before opening UBS Arena, then made the postseason in 2022-23 and 2023-24, losing to Carolina in the first round each time.

Lamoriello’s 1,470 wins as GM of the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Islanders are second in NHL history behind David Poile’s 1,533. His 325 Stanley Cup Playoff games are the most by any NHL general manager, and he’s second in postseason wins with 172, behind Glen Sather’s 187.

His success largely came at the Rangers expense since the each of his three teams also reside in the Eastern Conference, and the Devils and Islanders are bitter division rivals.

Most of those playoff wins came during his tenure with the Devils, who won the Stanley Cup three times (1995, 2000, 2003) under Lamoriello after he became team president and GM in 1987. He helped build teams that reached 100 points 13 times, won nine division titles, qualified for the playoffs 21 times, made the Stanley Cup Final five times and won three titles.

New Jersey qualified for the playoffs in 13 consecutive seasons from 1997-2010 and was 1,093-759-179 with 109 ties in the regular season and 136-116 in the playoffs during his time in New Jersey.

Lamoriello actually coached the Devils for 50 games in 2005-06 and again for the final three games of the 2006-07 season, with New Jersey qualifying for the playoffs each time. He left the Devils on July 23, 2015, and was named GM of the Maple Leafs the same day. His Toronto teams were 118-95-33 in three seasons and improved each year – winning the 2016 NHL Draft Lottery and using the No. 1 pick on Auston Matthews.

The Maple Leafs announced April 30, 2018, that Lamoriello would not return but he remained as a senior adviser before joining the Islanders.

In addition, Lamoriello was GM of the United States team that won the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and played at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder in 2009, and into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame three years later.

Needing a miracle and being on the verge of elimination from the playoff race with a week to go is hardly what the Rangers expected this season but it is what the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners are facing in their visit to UBS Arena to face off against the New York Islanders on Thursday.

The Rangers (36-35-7, 79 points) have four games to make up an eight-point deficit with the Montreal Canadiens. The Rangers need to win out and the Canadiens must lose each of their games in regulation for New York to reach the postseason a fourth consecutive season.

If not — and that’s the most likely outcome — the Rangers become the fourth NHL team to go from being the regular-season champs one season to failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs the next.

One of those teams was the 1992-93 Rangers. The end of this season is looking similar to 32 years ago though Adam Graves, Brian Leetch, Mark Messier and Mike Richter are not walking through those locker room doors except in their capacity as Rangers alumni, or in Messier’s case, as part of ABC’s studio panel commenting on the Rangers’ woes.

The Rangers have been outscored 17-6 in a three-game losing streak that coincides with Montreal’s six-game winning streak that has essentially ended their playoff hopes.

The latest loss was another night of defensive disasters since the Rangers constantly broke down defensively, especially in the third period when Tyson Foerster finished off a hat trick. The Rangers allowed six goals in the third period (two empty-net goals) and wound up allowing eight on home ice for the first time since an 8-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 24, 1996.

Have yourself a night, Tyson Foerster! He's got his first career hat trick!! 👏

Hat Trick Challenge presented by @AstraZenecaUS pic.twitter.com/9WokJIWfuV

— NHL (@NHL) April 10, 2025

The Rangers are looking to sweep the season series against the Islanders. They’ve outscored the Islanders 14-3 in the previous three meetings, including a 5-1 rout on Long Island on Feb. 25 when Jonny Brodzinski scored twice in the first period and set up a goal by Matt Rempe. The Rangers also got a 21-save shutout from Igor Shesterkin in a 4-0 win on home ice March 3, when they were percentage points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the second wild-card spot.

Those wins were part of a 15-7-3 stretch that followed the disastrous 4-15-0 skid in November and December which got the Rangers back into the playoff race. Since then, the Rangers are 5-9-3 in their past 17 games, putting them on the brink and in position to miss the postseason for the first time since 2020-21.

The Islanders (34-32-11, 79 points) are facing a similar situation. They were 5-2-1 in eight games from March 4-20 after the previous meeting with the Rangers, a stretch that coincided with trading Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche.

That hot streak moved the Islanders two points behind the Canadiens and since then they are 2-6-3 over their past 11. One of those victories was a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday, a game better known for when Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky on the all-time NHL goals list by scoring his 895th career goal.

The Islanders endured a similar outcome as the Rangers in their previous game, a 7-6 overtime loss at Nashville on Tuesday. The Islanders held a 6-4 lead but gave up two goals in the final 2:07 before falling to the Predators in overtime on a night when Simon Holmstrom scored twice and finished with four points.

Related: Rangers own up to ‘shitty feeling’ with playoff hopes nearing end

3 things to watch for when Rangers visit the Islanders

1. Avoid defensive breakdowns

Virtually all of the goals allowed by the Rangers during this three-game skid are the result of defensive breakdowns, an issue consistent issue all season. The Devils got behind the defense for two goals on special teams in 87 seconds on Saturday. The Lightning found cracks in the defense around the net for three in 1:45 in the first period Monday. And the Flyers easily did the same in the slot during their big third period Wednesday.

After the game, there were seemingly mixed messages with defenseman Adam Fox saying there were breakdowns and coach Peter Laviolette saying there was not any confusion, simply missed assignments.

Those issues even resulted in the Rangers allowing their fourth short-handed goal in six games while the power play went scoreless in three chances.

"I didn't like the way we attacked the period"

Peter Laviolette talks about the Rangers' defensive breakdowns in the third period: pic.twitter.com/ojQsX5yTBZ

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 10, 2025

2. Nyet on goalie duel

Whenever these teams meet, the matchup between goalies — and friends from back home in Russia — Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin is a compelling storyline.

Unfortunately, the 10th head-to-head meeting between the close friends will not happen since Sorokin sustained a lower-body injury in the second period of the loss at Nashville and won’t play. It is unclear how long he’ll be out.

That means the Rangers will face backup Marcus Hogberg, who is 2-4-2 with a 2.62 goals-against average in 12 games. Hogberg has assumed backup duties since Semyon Varlamov is out for the season with a lower-body injury.

Shesterkin has won the past seven encounters against his buddy Sorokin and is is 7-2-0 in their head-to-head matchups.

Shesterkin is 25-28-5 with a career-high 2.89 goals-against average this season, a by-product of the shoddy defense in front of him. Against the Islanders this season, he has stopped 92 of 95 shots. Shesterkin is 8-8-1 in 17 career games against the Islanders.

3. Jonny Brodzinski a positive in a forgettable season

Despite the massively disappointing season that’s swamped the Rangers, Brodzinski has stood out in a positive way. The 31-year-old has scored an NHL career-high 11 goals in 47 games, playing up and down the lineup in a variety of roles.

Jonny Brodzinski ties the game 💪 pic.twitter.com/24gpssK3SB

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) April 10, 2025

Brodzinski was also named the Rangers’ nominee for the Masterton Trophy, a deserving honor for one who’s persevered through much adversity to finally land a regular spot in the NHL.

Brodzinski again rose above the muck Wednesday, when he scored the Rangers’ third goal, to tie the game early in the third period. Brodzinski also scored twice in the last visit to Long Island, has seven goals in his past 21 contests and has been among the few defensively responsible Blueshirt forwards.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere

Cuylle – J.T. Miller – Zibanejad

Kreider – Carrick – Berard

Othmann – Brodzinski –Rempe

Soucy – Fox

Jones – Borgen

Vaakanainen – Schneider

Shesterkin

Quick

Rangers vs. Islanders: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers at New York Islanders

When: Thursday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: UBS Arena

How to watch: MSG2

Isles GM Lou Lamoriello threw in the towel on his team’s slim playoff hopes late Thursday, trading the much sought-after center and minor-league forward William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche for 20-year-old forward Calum Ritchie, a first-round selection in the 2026 or 2027 NHL Draft, a conditional third-round pick in the 2028 draft, and defenseman Oliver Kylington. The Islanders quickly wheeled Kylington to the Anaheim Ducks for future considerations.

New York reportedly retained 50 percent of Nelson’s cap hit. The 33-year-old is in the final season of a five-year contract that has an average annual value of $6 million and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Reports say he turned down a three-year contract with an AAV of more than $7.5 million, spurring the move.

The Islanders (28-26-7) began Friday four points out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. But unlike last season, when a late-season surge carried them into the playoffs because so many teams in the East were dreadful, this time there are four clubs, including the Rangers, between the Islanders and that last playoff berth. The Islanders, who begin a three-game California trip against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, are also without their most dynamic forward, Mathew Barzal, who hasn’t played since Feb. 1 and recently had surgery on his left kneecap.

The Rangers (31-26-5) and Ottawa Senators (31-25-5) are tied in points for the second wild card with 67 entering their showdown at Canadian Tire Centre on Saturday afternoon; however, the Senators have a game in hand.

The Islanders’ first-round pick (No. 30) of the 2010 draft, has been the subject of trade rumors for weeks before Lamoriello pulled the trigger. However, the Hall of Fame GM opted to keep two other players widely regarded as trade possibilities — impending UFA forward Kyle Palmieri and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who is signed through 2025-26.

Nelson is fourth in Islanders history with 901 games played and fifth with 295 goals. He has 43 points (20 goals, 23 assists) this season despite a 17-game goal drought after three straight seasons of 34+ goals and should fit in well with Colorado’s highly skilled top-six forward group — likely as the No. 2 center behind NHL scoring leader Nathan MacKinnon. He can also play wing, as he did for Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off last month.

“On most of the trade boards I watched, he was the top guy available,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Friday. “Centers are hard to find, and he’s a real good one.”

Brock Nelson joins two former Rangers looking to help Avalanche win Stanley Cup

Nelson was the First Star on Tuesday, when the Islanders defeated the League-leading Winnipeg Jets 3-2 at UBS Arena. The 12-year veteran got teary-eyed in a post-game interview when asked what playing on Long Island meant to him. As it turned out, that was his last game in blue and orange.

An emotional first star Brock Nelson discusses his @nyislanders big win over the league leading Jets and what it’s meant to wear an Islander jersey his entire career. #Isles | @Shannon_Hogan pic.twitter.com/hr3DyFhYgE

— Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) March 5, 2025

“I’ve had conversations with Lou [Lamoriello] and I’ve been honest,” Nelson said after that game. “I really, truly, have been worried about here and playing and doing everything we can to win.”

Nelson is a reliable player at both ends of the ice, a trait that Bednar is delighted to add to his team, which owns the first wild card in the Western Conference and is even in points with the Minnesota Wild for third place in the Central Division after a 7-3 win against San Jose at Ball Arena on Thursday. He’s expected to make his debut with the Avs (37-24-2) when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

“He’s always been a trusted 200-foot player,” Bednar said. “If you look at his history, he’s scoring 30+ goals most years, too. To get a player of that caliber is hard to do — and yeah, I think it’s an amazing add for our team.”

Just this past Saturday, the Avalanche made a trade with the Rangers to acquire two other veterans on expiring contracts, pending UFA defenseman Ryan Lindgren and forward Jimmy Vesey. Lindgren drew praise from Bednar after his Avalanche debut on Tuesday.

Lindgren is averaging just under 21 minutes TOI in two games with Colorado. Vesey made his Avalanche debut in the win against the Sharks on Thursday and was minus-1 playing a bit more than 13 minutes.

Though first-round picks are nice to have, especially for a team that looks like it’s starting a rebuild, the key to the deal for the Islanders may be Ritchie, a big (6-foot-2, 190 pounds), skilled, smart center who’s on course for his second straight 80-point season in the Ontario Hockey League. He scored one goal – against the Islanders on Oct. 14 – in seven games at the start of the season before being returned to Oshawa of the OHL, where he has a team-leading 67 points (14 goals, 53 assists) and is plus-33 in 41 games.

He is known for his hockey IQ, playmaking ability, on-ice vision, and footwork — and he’s still filling out physically.

Ritchie, an alternate captain for Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship, was Colorado’s first-round pick (No. 27) in the 2023 draft and was regarded as the top Avalanche prospect. He could eventually end up paired with Cole Eiserman, the Isles’ top pick in the 2024 draft, who has 19 goals in 32 games as a freshman for Boston University and helped Team USA win the World Juniors.

For now, Ritchie is likely to stay with Oshawa, which has already clinched an OHL playoff berth. But expect him to contend for a spot on the Islanders at training camp this fall.