After a strong finish down the stretch to take third place in the Metropolitan Division, the Islanders head into the first full season under Roy with a focus on getting off to a strong start.

Friday’s preseason match against the Devils was the last ride for the prospects. Islanders coach Patrick Roy said he plans to use the Islanders’ full lineup in the team’s final two preseason games

Outside of the final 10 minutes at Madison Square Garden last week and a few stretches of Monday’s forgettable game against the Flyers, this Islanders team has looked well prepared and cohesive. As Roy has said often, it’s about the process and not the results right now. And the process has looked sharp.

NEWARK – Patrick Roy has structured his first training camp as Islanders coach with an emphasis on testing the players’ stamina. For instance, instead of ending long practices with endurance skating drills as is the norm,

The opening of the NHL season is fast approaching, with the Sabres and Devils in Prague to kick things off Friday. The Islanders, of course, aren’t there yet — Friday is the day of their final preseason game.

As NHL teams begin trimming their rosters, the New York Islanders will soon face some tough decisions. After struggling with depth in their bottom six last season, the 2024-25 roster now seems to have an abundance of options.

The Islanders know there’s some cleanup work to be done. One preseason game remains – against the Rangers at UBS Arena on Friday night – before the regular season opens on Oct. 10. Tuesday at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow was the first of a slew of practices between now and first puck drop.