New York Islanders

New York Islanders

"The ultra wealthy and the most profitable corporations are going to fight any revenue raiser," said Brahvan Ranga, campaign manager of Invest in Our New York, a coalition of organizations pushing for progressive tax reforms. "But the political winds are at our back in a way that hasn't been the case in years." Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral election resoundingly by running on reshaping New York to be affordable and manageable for working people. But many of his audacious plans require money-lots of it.

When the New York Islanders drafted Jesse Pulkkinen with the 54th overall pick of the 2024 draft, many were intrigued about what he could become. He is a big body defenseman, with a 6'6" frame and weighing in at 220 pounds. He has used this size to his advantage, delivering big hits and being an aggressive forechecker. He is also very mobile for his size, which he uses to get involved in the offense. He put this on display during his time in Finland.

That's it. The situation has been frustrating as coach Patrick Roy has given Tsyplakov an opportunity to play in various roles. But nothing has seemed to work. Tsyplakov has been a healthy scratch at times and at others, playing minuscule minutes on the fourth line. For instance, the Russian import played just 6:43 on January 19 against the Vancouver Canucks.

It's pretty simple: Back-checking is an important part of our game and our concept. We talked about it on the road, and it's my job to make guys accountable Back-checking doesn't require talent; it requires will, and this is what this team is about.

Vince Dunn and Jared McCann each had a goal and an assist, and the Seattle Kraken snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday night. Matty Beniers and Kaapo Kakko also scored for Seattle, which improved to 21-23-6. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves and added a secondary assist on McCann's empty-net goal late in the third period.

As the Olympic roster freeze nears, more and more players are rumored to be available. One that caught our attention was Shane Wright in Seatlle, who would be the perfect Rangers trade target. Seattle is rumored to be dangling Wright in exchange for a "legitimate top six threat," which the Rangers just so happen to have available right now. As Chris Drury wants the Rangers to become younger and faster, it's hard to find a more perfect Rangers trade target

Newly released surveillance video shows how one of several overnight store robberies unfolded, and investigators say the same group may be behind all of them. The video obtained by News 12 comes from a store at 125 Kingston Ave. It shows two masked men walking up to the counter. One holds out a plastic bag, pointing it like a gun. The worker opens the register and places cash into an open bag.

Panarin, 34, is expected to be traded off as part of New York's upcoming "retool," which was announced by GM Chris Drury last week. As part of that process, Drury reportedly informed Panarin that the team would not be seeking extension talks with him and instead would work with him to try to find a trade partner. The Russian winger holds a full no-movement clause in his contract, so he will have complete control over where he ends up ahead of the deadline.

The New York Islanders were once a dynasty. During the 1980s they were unstoppable, winning four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-1983. During that time, they were a scoring machine hand had many future Hockey Hall of Famers suit up for them. In the late 1980s and into the 1990s the Islanders slowly transformed into a more defensive team. That style of play continues today, and they have found that winning does comes with it.

The first season of the Mathieu Darche era on Long Island has gone pretty well. Through 48 games this season, the Islanders are 26-17-5 and are in second in the Metro Division. He also made arguably the best pick in the 2025 draft, as Matthew Schaffer has been the most impactful rookie and is the current favorite to win the Calder Trophy. It looks like good things are ahead for the Islanders with Darche at the helm.

The governor's budget proposal, the first step in hammering out a new spending deal with the state Legislature by April 1, includes plans to provide free childcare to children aged two and over in New York City and children aged four and up throughout the rest of New York State, pledging $4.5 billion to expand free childcare statewide. That investment represents a $1.7 billion increase compared to the 2025 state budget.

Since Alexander Romanov went down with what will likely be a season-ending injury, the NY Islanders have had a revolving door around their sixth defenseman. We've seen Adam Boqvist, Travis Mitchell, Marshall Warren, and Cole McWard on a rotating basis, but none have been able to stick night in and night out. Today, the San Jose Sharks placed Nick Leddy, the former Islanders defenseman, on waivers.

We let up too much last game,

The order names a problem that anyone who has spent time in civic life recognizes. Too often, "community" is defined by the few who repeatedly show up or happen to be in the room. That is not because they care more, but because they have the time, flexibility, and familiarity with civic processes that many New Yorkers do not. When those voices are treated as synonymous with an entire district, our understanding of the public and consensus becomes distorted.

The former Washington Capitals forward has mutually terminated his contract with SKA Saint Petersburg and is reportedly coming back stateside to join another NHL organization. According to NHL.com's Stefen Rosner, Dubé, a 2024 Calder Cup champion with the Hershey Bears, is set to sign a deal with the New York Islanders. Given he's coming over in the middle of the NHL season, Dubé will need to clear waivers before joining the Isles and then likely get sent to the AHL's Bridgeport Islanders.

After 25 years in Los Angeles, Cheeseman said the opportunity to return east and help shape the future of the New York Islanders was irresistible. "The opportunity to come back and partner with Malkin and John Collins and John Ledecky and the great ownership group here to bring a cutback to Long Island is really the intriguing piece to me," Cheeseman said on Hockey Night in New York with Sean Cuthbert and Arthur Staple. "I like building. I like building opportunities."

Mathieu Darche isn't panicking - and that may be the most important part of the New York Islanders' response to Alexander Romanov's absence. Rather than forcing a trade or rushing into an external fix, the Islanders' general manager is leaning into something he believes in deeply: development, patience, and the Bridgeport pipeline. 'You don't want to make a knee-jerk reaction,' Darche said via the New York Post when asked about replacing Romanov.

When you come in... you study the team, but until you're there, there's so many things that you find out,

Mayor Mamdani now wants a plan to bring all facilities back in compliance with rules about capacity and other standards. On Tuesday morning, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued an executive order requiring the Department of Social Services and Department of Homeless Services (DHS), in tandem with the Law Department, to create a plan to phase out the use of emergency shelters for migrants that don't meet longstanding city standards.

At the midpoint of the 82-game grind, Lee believes the Islanders have done "some really good work," pointing to stretches of strong hockey and an ability to push through adversity that inevitably shows up over the first 41 games. Some opportunities were seized, others slipped away, but Lee views that as part of the process rather than a red flag.

The physical toll has been real. Schaefer admitted that the body doesn't feel the same every morning anymore - not with games every other night, back-to-backs, and constant travel. Some days feel good. Others don't. The adjustment, he's learning, is about managing the lows as much as enjoying the highs. "You just push through it," he said. "Doing the little things - in the gym, off the ice, recovery, nutrition - that's how you keep yourself as close to 100 percent as you can."

"If we were able to score in that first period, it would have given us some momentum," head coach Patrick Roy said after the game. "But after that, it's probably more about the detail of the game. We lost one-on-one battles and we should have been better in those areas. We took some offensive zone penalties, too many men. So these details, at some point, are going to hurt you."