Key departures
Noah DobsonD: Traded to the Montreal Canadiens on June 27 for forward Emile Heineman and two first-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft (16th, forward Victor Eklund; No. 17, defender Kashawn Aitcheson). Dobson had 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists) in 71 games last season, his sixth since the Islanders selected him in the first round (12th overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft. He was a restricted free agent and signed an eight-year, $76 million contract with Montreal. … Mike ReillyD: Signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 1. Acquired on waivers from the Islanders on November 25, 2023, Reilly had two assists in 18 games last season, missing time due to a heart defect that required surgery. … Matt MartinF: Retired from the NHL on June 24 and was named special assistant to Darche. He had two assists in 32 games with the Islanders last season and played 14 of his 16 NHL seasons with New York. … Lou Lamoriello, general manager: The Hockey Hall of Fame executive, who was hired as general manager before the 2018-19 season, did not have his contract renewed after seven seasons. The Islanders went 268-195-71 under Lamoriello, qualifying for the playoffs five times, including back-to-back trips to the third round in 2020 and 2021.
At dawn
Matthew SchaeferD: Selected with the first pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, Schaefer said his goal is to make the NHL roster. If he doesn’t, he’ll likely return to Erie in the Ontario Hockey League unless he chooses to go to the NCAA. The 17-year-old had 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 17 games with Erie before suffering a season-ending collarbone injury in December. … Calum RitchieF: Acquired from the Avalanche with the defender Olivier Kylington and two draft picks in a trade for forwards Brock Nelson And William Dufour On March 6, Ritchie had 70 points (15 goals, 55 assists) in 44 games with Oshawa in the OHL last season. The 20-year-old made the Avalanche team out of camp last season, but was sent back to juniors after scoring one goal in seven games.
