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Anders Lee, Bo Horvat, and Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders (Photo by Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Projecting the New York Islanders’ 2025-26 Lineup

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Mike Fink | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 4:20 PM ET

It’s September and the weather is starting to cool (which this year, happened early for some reason in the New York area). It means that hockey is around the corner, and the time to make predictions and projections is now.

The New York Islanders, for the first time in a while, head into the season with an unpredictable roster and, with that, an unpredictable lineup. There are a lot of moving parts and a few prospects who could make the team right out of the gate. It’s why there are multiple lineups that the Islanders can roll out throughout the 2025-26 season.

Forwards

Taking a step back and looking at the forward unit, the Islanders have a lot of depth skaters but not a lot who fit into the top six. It’s why even the ideal lines look messy and display glaring issues.

Ideal Forward Lines

Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal

Simon Holmstrom – Jonathan Drouin – Kyle Palmieri

Anthony Duclair – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Maxim Shabanov

Maxim Tsyplakov – Casey Cizikas – Emil Heineman

Two things stand out with these lines. The first is that it leans heavily on the top line carrying the offense, with the Barzal and Horvat connection leading the way. The other is that Pierre Engvall is left off of it. Engvall, who signed a seven-year deal in the 2023 offseason, is in the same category as Duclair, a forward signed to a bad contract and will either step up or remain out of the lineup until an injury happens.

Most Likely Forward Lines

Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Simon Holmstrom

Jonathan Drouin – Mathew Barzal – Kyle Palmieri

Maxim Tsyplakov – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Maxim Shabanov

Anthony Duclair – Casey Cizikas – Emil Heineman

Palmieri is a top-line skater, certainly on this roster. However, if the Islanders are splitting up Barzal and Horvat, it makes sense to play him on the same line as Barzal, the best playmaker, to provide him plenty of open looks. The other note is for Duclair, who isn’t a fourth liner and is expected to bounce back from a rough season. That said, it’s hard to see him replacing anyone ahead of him on the left wing.

The Sliding Doors Forward Lines

Anders Lee – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal

Jonathan Drouin – Calum Ritchie – Kyle Palmieri

Simon Holmstrom – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Maxim Shabanov

Maxim Tsyplakov – Casey Cizikas – Emil Heineman

The reason these are the sliding doors lines is because of Calum Ritchie. If he’s ready, he’ll force a lot of skaters in the top six to move around. Ritchie, whom the Islanders acquired in the Brock Nelson trade, is a center, and by making the NHL roster, he would bump Barzal back to the top-line wing (which subsequently moves someone out of the top six).

It’s a good problem to have, as Ritchie could be a big upgrade to the forward group and get the most out of the veteran wingers. This also makes some skaters expendable, notably Duclair and Engvall, who have struggled since joining the team and have failed to find consistent roles.

Defense

The big questions surrounding the defense are whether Matthew Schaefer is ready and if he can make an impact right out of the gate. The ideal defense pairings involve the top pick by the Islanders becoming a star right away.

Ideal Defense Pairings

Alexander Romanov – Matthew Schaefer

Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock

Tony DeAngelo – Scott Mayfield

If Schaefer is a star, which he projects as at some point, it will give the Islanders an ideal top pairing. They’ll have a two-way player who can play in all situations while also having a stay-at-home option in Romanov. This pairing also makes the other ones better, as it allows DeAngelo to move down in the lineup and make a bigger impact as a depth defenseman.

Projected Defense Pairings

Alexander Romanov – Tony DeAngelo

Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock

Adam Boqvist / Matthew Schaefer – Scott Mayfield

The assumption is that the 18-year-old Schaefer won’t be ready for the NHL right away, and if he is, he won’t be an impact player. So, if he’s on the roster, he’ll probably start on the third pair with a veteran like Mayfield, which is great for his development.

The above two projections ignore one player who can join the roster and add a young presence to the lineup. It’s where a potential youth movement can be in play.

Islanders Youth Movement Pairings

Alexander Romanov – Matthew Schaefer

Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock

Isaiah George – Scott Mayfield

George showed flashes last season and is a great skater. It’s why there’s a good chance he’s on the team right away and adding a spark to the unit. The case can be made that the ideal scenario is Schaefer on the top pair with George on the third pair, making the Islanders a faster team that can look better on the offensive end.

These pairings leave two veterans out of the lineup. Boqvist, who is expected to round out the unit, and Ethan Bear, who the Islanders signed this offseason as the extra defenseman. There’s a chance both defensemen are on the American Hockey League team next season, yet they will most likely add depth to the NHL roster and be ready when the inevitable injuries hit.

Other Notes on the Islanders’ Lineup

The goaltenders are worth keeping in mind. The projections are simple as Ilya Sorokin will be the starter and David Rittich will be the backup until Semyon Varlamov returns. The question is whether Sorokin will split starts with the backup or if the Islanders will lean on him throughout the season.

The big picture notes on the Islanders’ lineup are that they have plenty of depth skaters on both the forward unit and the defense. The question is whether the players can form strong chemistry or not. It’s why Tsyplakov and Shabanov, two players with similar skill sets who are adjusting to the NHL (with Shabanov playing his first season away from the Kontinental Hockey League), make sense as linemates.