No Joy Ride

Isles drop second straight as trade deadline looms

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

Earlier this week on our Quick Fix with Chris Botta, we talked about something simple: whatever happens at the trade deadline, fans should enjoy the ride.

At the time, that felt easy to say. The Islanders had just rattled off three straight comeback wins after the Olympic Break. The vibes were high. The building was buzzing. The kind of buzz that makes you think maybe — just maybe — something special is brewing.

And then the Islanders headed west.

Now, just hours before we find out whether Mathieu Darche is going to reshape this roster, the ride suddenly feels a lot bumpier. The Islanders have earned some benefit of the doubt this season. They’ve provided plenty of memorable nights, the kind that make you believe. But just as often, they’ve had a way of letting doubt creep right back in.

Two steps forward. One step back.

That’s been the rhythm, and the last two games in Southern California were the perfect example.

Forty-eight hours ago we were celebrating resilience, reveling in those comeback wins. In the blink of an eye, the Islanders dropped two lopsided games to the Ducks and Kings. Not dramatic losses. Not heartbreaking ones. Just flat performances where the push never really came.

They looked less like the group that had fans using words like “special,” and more like the team many expected when the season began — competitive, but flawed.

The numbers in Los Angeles were brutal. The Islanders still haven’t won there since Oct. 18, 2018 — a drought of 2,495 days. Six straight losses. A combined score of 26–9. The Kings, playing with the new coach bump of energy, generated 15 scoring chances in the first period alone, tying their most in a period over the last decade. And honestly, the 5–3 final score felt generous.

So now we wait.

Darche has to decide whether these two games are just a blip for a playoff team — or a reminder of why caution might be wise. The Islanders have shown flashes of something special this season.

But they’ve also shown plenty of reality.

Game Recap

Artemi Panarin scored his first goal with the Los Angeles Kings as they defeated the New York Islanders 5-3 on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena. Panarin, Mikey Anderson and Adrian Kempe each recorded a goal and an assist, while Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves for Los Angeles, which earned its first win under interim head coach D.J. Smith. Samuel Helenius and Alex Laferriere also scored.

Islanders forward Bo Horvat produced one of the night’s highlights, scoring off a faceoff with one second left in the second period. Adam Pelech added a short-handed goal, and Emil Heineman scored late with the goalie pulled. Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves.

The Islanders, who had won five straight before the trip, dropped back-to-back games in Southern California after a 5-1 loss in Anaheim. Kings captain Anze Kopitar recorded an assist in his 1,500th NHL game, moving closer to the franchise scoring record held by Marcel Dionne.

GameScore Impact Card

⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders aim to get back on track on Saturday night against the San Jose Sharks. Face-off is set for 10:00 PM EST.

📊 STANDINGS

He Loves LA

Nine months after hearing his name called first overall, Matthew Schaefer returned to Los Angeles this week — the city where both his life and the trajectory of the New York Islanders changed forever.

As Andrew Gross writes in Newsday, Schaefer was selected No. 1 overall in the 2025 NHL Draft at the Peacock Theater in LA Live, a moment filled with emotion. He walked to the stage wearing a black-and-white houndstooth suit lined with photos of his late mother, Jennifer, who passed away from breast cancer earlier that year. The Islanders honored her memory by placing a ribbon on his jersey during the draft, a gesture that moved Schaefer to tears.

But returning to Los Angeles this week wasn’t about nostalgia for the 18-year-old defenseman. “We’re going for two points,” Schaefer said before the Islanders faced the Los Angeles Kings. “We want to win a game.”

Since that emotional draft night, Schaefer has rapidly become one of the league’s most exciting young players. He has already emerged as a top-pair defenseman and power-play quarterback, scoring 20 goals — just three shy of the NHL rookie defenseman record held by Brian Leetch. Earlier this week, he was named the NHL’s First Star after scoring four goals and adding an assist following the Olympic break.

General manager Mathieu Darche knew Schaefer was a special prospect, but few could have predicted how quickly he would impact the Islanders. What began as a remarkable draft-night story has already become one of the most important chapters in the franchise’s future.

Balancing Act

With the NHL trade deadline approaching, the key question surrounding the New York Islanders is how aggressive general manager Mathieu Darche is willing to be in a market currently favoring sellers.

Darche has previously indicated he would consider moving a first-round pick to strengthen the roster, especially since the Islanders hold two first-round selections in 2026 following the Brock Nelson trade. However, in the current market, a first-round pick alone may not be enough to acquire a true impact player such as Jordan Kyrou.

Darche must balance competing priorities. The Islanders have exceeded expectations this season and already added veterans like Ondrej Palat and Carson Soucy to support the roster. At the same time, the Eastern Conference appears wide open, creating temptation to add more firepower.

Yet the team still has clear weaknesses, including inconsistent top-six scoring, a struggling power play and a defense that lacks depth when injuries occur, as seen when Ryan Pulock was unavailable in a recent loss.

Because of those factors, the Islanders are believed to be targeting players with contract term rather than short-term rentals. But acquiring players like Kyrou or Robert Thomas would likely require a significant package, potentially including top prospects such as Kashawn Aitcheson, Victor Eklund or Cal Ritchie.

For Darche, the challenge is clear: improve the current roster without sacrificing the Islanders’ long-term foundation.

Buzzer Beater

Bo Horvat’s buzzer beating goal at the end of the first period was the first time the Isles beat a goaltender at 19:59 of a period for the first time since January 13, 2007, when Miroslav Satan beat Martin Brodeur to force overtime.

📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, with the loss, the Isles fall to 4-19-1 when trailing after two periods. Adam Pelech played his 623rd Isles game, passing Stefan Persson for 2nd on the club's all-time defense list. Ilya Sorokin lost for only the second time all season (14-2-0) when facing over 30 shots and making a highlight reel save with the shaft of his stick.

🎥 ISLES REWIND: On March 6th, 2021, Mathew Barzal scored the goal of the year when he went between his legs and past Carter Hutton of the Buffalo Sabres. Barzal and Scott Mayfield each had a goal and an assist as the Isles beat the Sabres 5-2 for their fourth straight victory. Semyon Varlamov made 20 saves as the Islanders improved to 9-0-2 at the Nassau Coliseum.

“Once I knew I had body position, I took it to the net,” Barzal said. ”I felt like Hutton was down. It was a lot of instinct, just being in the moment and reacting. I’d probably put it in my top two or three.”

📺 New York Islanders Postgame Availability | NYI at LAK

🔗 Islanders in on Thomas, but pivot likely by Nestor Quixan, Eyes on Isles “Beyond the savvy deals that brought Ondrej Palat and Carson Soucy, the Isles have done well to steer clear of paying a premium for depth pieces. That said, the Islanders have not been idle behind the scenes. Trade rumors have surfaced linking the Islanders to two of the St. Louis Blues’ main trade targets: Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou.”

🔗 Islanders look as bad as they have all season in brutal loss to Kings on eve of trade deadline by Ethan Sears “The Islanders may have just had the worst run in Southern California since Magic Johnson tried hosting late-night television. After 5-1 in Anaheim came 5-3 in Los Angeles on Trade Deadline Eve, as the Islanders fell to the Kings on Thursday in a game where they were completely overmatched from the jump. As messages to management go, this was one Mathieu Darche would probably like to erase.”

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And we leave you with this…a list of Matthew Schaefer accomplishments (so far).

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