Islanders have 4 duos that can make or break 2025-26-Hockey Writer-New York Islanders

For the first time in some time, New York Islanders have a new lineup. With some veterans retiring, some trades and free agent signing, the Islanders looked like another group and felt different from Mathieu Darche in his first season as General Manager (GM).

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As the changes occur, there are new connections on the ice. The Islanders have some line combinations, defensive pairings and other duos (or trio) that will define the 2025-26 season. So let’s dig into some of these, starting with the most important ones.

Mathew Barzal & Bo Horvat

The connection between Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat is the most important connection for the Islanders since the duo was founded in the mid-2022-23 season. The offense is with them, because Barzal is the organizer and Horvat is the scorer.

Last season, the duo wasn’t strong, which led to an offensive collapse. Balzar was injured, changing the color of the attack. Meanwhile, the 2023-24 season saw the Islanders enter the playoffs, mainly due to the connections they have made.

This season, the two must be separated at least early. Horvat will be centered on one line and Barzal will be centered on the other, bringing the islanders deeper. However, there is a good chance they will spend a lot of time together, especially in Power Games, where Barzal will be a hockey handler and look for Horvat in the slot. Therefore, the two leading the offensive are crucial to the success of the islanders.

Adam Pelech & Ryan Pulock

This defensive pairing was once the staple food of the Islanders, their successes, especially their defensive forces. When the team enters the playoffs, they are the key defenders, hudging the offense of opposition. However, Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock have declined with age and injury in recent years.

PELECH and PULOCK must be kept healthy and, more importantly, as the second pair. They won’t be the anchor for the department, but they can stomp on the second pair and prevent defensive crashes. The duo’s strong season will go a long way.

Maxim Tsyplakov and Maxim Shabanov

This is a duo that can take offense to a new level (or maximum). Last season, Maxim Tsyplakov showed a flash ball, scoring 10 goals as a six-winter, while adding 25 assists in 77 games. Maxim Shabanov is a highly touted winger from the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), who Tsyplakov did a season ago.

It’s very likely that two skaters will be together for most of the season. They both skated and Shabanov surfaced with a famous burner that could rush the opposition into the hasty rush. So if they work well together, it will give islanders some much-needed scoring depth.

Alexander Romanov and Matthew Schaefer

If Matthew Schaefer is ready, he has the chance to be in the same pair with Alexander Romanov. Since he is still young, even if he enters the NHL, he may be a deep defender, not the top. That said, his talent is enough to play this role, and it makes sense for him to play with Romanov, the Islander’s highest full-time defender.

This is a duo that can raise the ceiling for the islanders. Romanov is the shutdown defender, while Schaefer, as a two-way player, can make the unit elite elite and especially allow the islanders to score. It’s a pairing that can one day turn Islanders into one of the best teams in the league, especially if Schaefer starts running from day one.

Other combinations that will define islander seasons

As expected, goalkeepers are crucial to the islanders’ success. Recent seasons prove that Ilya Sorokin is an elite, but he can’t do it all by himself. That’s why the islanders need reliable backups, and with Semyon Varlamov’s position in the air, it means the newly signed David Rittich must strengthen and suppress everything when asked.

The subsequent question about goalkeepers was how head coach Patrick Roy deployed Sorokin, Rittich and healthy Varlamov. Ideally, he relies on Sorokin, but the starter occasionally needs a night off, and Roy can rely on the trio, or use Rittich or Varlamov as a backup while the other is sent to the American Hockey League (AHL).

There is also a question of which line Anthony Duclair is on and whether he can add points to it after his first unforgettable first season with the Islanders. Anders Lee is the same.

Which connection do you think will define the season of the islander? Let us know in the comments section below!