New York Islanders Lose 2-1 To Carolina Hurricanes In a Meaningless Game
The Islanders have been eliminated from the playoffs, and No. 16 overall draft pick Victor Eklund made his debut tonight. The Islanders lost 2-1, but it did not matter. With the debut of Eklund, the Islanders now have three young players: Matthew Schaefer and Cal Ritchie.
The Isles’ minor league affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, play tomorrow (and made the playoffs). Eklund will likely play for them, and so too will Ritchie. Look for the Bridgeport Islanders to make a big push as the team will move to Hamilton, Ontario, next season. Do you think the Isles’ minor league affiliate doing well in the American Hockey League bodes well for them?
Islanders and Hurricanes Game Summary
The Islanders are coming off back-to-back losses at home that eliminated them from playoff contention. The Hurricanes are coming off a shootout defeat to the Flyers, 3-2. Importantly, they rested many of their players (about half of their roster), so it is reasonable to expect the same tonight. Playing at home and the debut of Eklund, there were just too many things going for them. Here is a scoring summary from this game.
In the first period, Nikolaj Ehlers scored for Carolina. That was the only goal of the period. The Hurricanes led 1-0. In the second period, Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders to even the score at 1. That was a noteworthy goal. It was the 300th of his career, and Eklund got an assist. In the third period, Mark Jankowski scored for the Hurricanes. Giving them a 2-1 lead.
The Looming Islanders Decisions
There are a bunch of decisions to make in this offseason; it should be fascinating. The crux of the issue is how many young players will make the team next season and how many veterans will not. The young players, Schaefer, Ritchie, Eklund, Aichieson, Eiserman, and more, are exciting and cheap. The older players, Lee, Schenn, Palat, Palmeri, and more, are not that exciting and expensive.
Captain Lee’s contract is expiring. He might be playing his last game tonight (if so, the captaincy is expected to pass to Bo Horvat. Lee has been an important part of the team, and it will be sad to see him go; however, his skills have clearly declined. Many of the team’s other veterans have several years remaining on their contracts. This is too bad, as these players are expensive, there is a salary cap in hockey, and they are slow and in decline.
New Coach Peter DeBoer is rumored to like veterans. You can add that preference to the list of fascinating conundrums facing the team. If he does want veterans on his roster, we might see some of the older players stick around. Is it an indication of a different preference with Eklund debuting this evening?
Eklund Is a Keeper
Eklund, who the Islanders selected 16th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, has 2 goals and 7 assists in 7 games in the American Hockey League. His goals include a shootout winner. He came over to North America on March 26 after completing his first Swedish Hockey League (SHL) campaign. In that league, importantly, he played against grown men. The competition, many think, makes him ready for the National Hockey League. His AHL point total indicates he may be.
Eklund is not the only one who debuted for the Isles tonight. Liam Foudy was also called up. He has 46 points in 58 games for Bridgeport this season. Both are AHL career highs. This is Foudy’s first recall this season, but the 26-year-old played two games with the Islanders last season (Oct. 22 and 25, 2024). He was drafted 18th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018 and signed with the Islanders as a free agent in 2024.
Disappointment, Sort Of
When one thinks about where the Islanders were a month ago, it is hard not to be disappointed. However, the Isles had a great year. They exceeded expectations. Tonight, we got another glimpse of a rosy future with Eklund debuting.
