New York Player Reviews III: Pageau/Cizikas/MacLean/Gatcomb

#NYC #NYI #isles Today I reviewed four players who were a big part of the teams offensive problems, ate minutes on a roster that had two goals or fewer in 41/82 games, and gave them virtually no puck possession or offense, and were marginal at best on D.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 28, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Pageau: F A ton of occasional fluke goals off skates or bounces, 4th liner on a third line, weak in lanes, slow to points, bad on boards, hurt them in all three zones, hampered forwards on his wings + their production. Wins faceoffs, should not be in any key role

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 28, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Cizikas: F Same as Pageau but rarely even scores a fluke goal, just drifts from game to game he makes his lines short-handed at 5/5 + forwards around him. Bad in all three zones, is beat often. And this is how it will be until he's gone. Have to trade/release him

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 28, 2026

#NYC #NYI #Isles MacLean: F Signed as a center, plays wing. Tries hard but with Cizikas in middle his line looks shorthanded. Regressed from earlier years, invisible, another forward giving them nothing on team with major scoring issues. Have to move on/waivers/demotion/buyout.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 28, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Gatcomb: F Again another player on a line that looks shorthanded who eats minutes and at best plays an even shift on a team that had two goals or less in 41 games. Tries hard, just does not win many pucks or defend well/create any kind of offense. Waivers/trade.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 28, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Just as bad regarding 44-53-32-16 they could not fight or throw big hits to turn games so players who should not fight on the top lines were forced to fight on their own aka Lee. Long ago but need an Asham middle weight who does hit/can score/fight.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 28, 2026

New York Player Reviews II: Holmstrom/Heineman/Ritchie

#NYC #NYI #isles Holmstrom: B+ Roy juggled him around all season as usual w/players like 44-53/others who had him shorthanded at 5/5. Still at times he carried offense, scored big goals, and carried puck keeping it away from opposition. At end was playing hurt. Top forward.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 27, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Heineman: B- He was on his way to 40+goals before Roy moved him to LW & stopped his scoring cold. Spurts afterward, more line juggling, and despite more goals we got the ten goal player from Montreal who's good/not top six too often at end. Redirected pucks great

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 27, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Ritchie A: Another victim of Roy's constant juggling/benching/4th line, but showed offensive skills/skating desperately needed, was good in crease with fast moves/scoring hands/maturity in gm. Problem with all signed centers here now. Needs to be 2nd line center.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 27, 2026

New York Player Reviews: Bo Horvat/Matthew Barzal/Anders Lee

#NYC #NYI #isles Today we start player reviews:
Horvat: B- He started slow, got red hot with Heineman before Roy moved him to LW, then got injured twice long term but wanted his Olympics. Came back and did not do what top line centers must do which is score/be a top line player.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 26, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Today we start player reviews:
Horvat: B- He started slow, got red hot with Heineman before Roy moved him to LW, then got injured twice long term but wanted his Olympics. Came back and did not do what top line centers must do which is score/be a top line player.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 26, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles Anders Lee: D+
Fair numbers, got chances on all three lines, had one good week early, but his speed was absent, did not score off rush or got to high slot. He had a few bursts late, and gave his best but was invisible too often. Lee can't stay w/Pageau/Schenn.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 26, 2026

Ugly Numbers For New York

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It's time to get a handle on why a team that rose as high as fifteen games over .500 that I was negative about since camp, finally fell apart at a time, all they had to do was play ten/twelve games in a building they claimed was home. At a time even I felt they survived this way for almost the entire season, what's two more weeks with no travel?

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#NYC #NYI #isles New York played 36 games scoring two goals or fewer + 5 games where they were credited with a third goal in a skills competition. So that's 41 times or 1/2 entire season they scored two goals. And somehow they got to fifteen over .500

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 19, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles For the awful powerplay numbers they improved from 26 to 40 goals in 2025-26.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 19, 2026

#NYC #NYI #isles
2024-25 Total 5/5 goals 189 (not including ENG)
2025-26 Total 5/5 goals 184 (not including ENG)
So at 5/5 they scored less goals.
They scored 9 shorthanded goals both years, in 2024-25 they allowed on less shorthanded goal.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 19, 2026

New York Notables: Prospect Site/Misc

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The prospect site is updated with the expiration dates of all player contracts. Most of Bridgeport is listed as RFA as they go in search of their first playoff win since 2003 before they re-locate to Hamilton. I have also started the NHL draft section with New York officially 19th entering the lottery with the chance to move up to drafting 10 slots higher.

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Folks know where I stand on Belmont/attendance/retail village. Dolan's media/Kelly Cheeseman who was hired 10/9/25 & started 11/1/25 frankly is not too honest about the teams attendance. I intend to expand more on this in the coming days. I have plenty to write about Darche, as I ask where was head coach Peter DeBoer on breakup day? Funny it took him one game to say what everyone knew after 31 games last season, that Isiah George is a LD NHL defenseman. Mr Darche signed LD Romanov with LD Kashawn Aitcheson, and Schaefer, and Pelech who had a fantastic season. I will be doing player grades and released only the grades on x/twitter.

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#NYC #NYI #isles When NY got to 15 over, I was of the mindset despite all the two goal games, bad powerplay, ugly, ugly wins, they should be able to continue doing it for a few more weeks. Problem which I wrote about finally playing at failed Belmont experiment. Could not hide.

— New York Islander Fan Central (@NYIFANCENTRAL) April 17, 2026