The Islanders open the 2026-27 season in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs have already lost once, in their opener last night to their rivals from Quebec.
Scott Mayfield and Kyle MacLean appear to be the scratches (Matt Kessel too) based on the morning skate, as captured by Andrew Gross for Newsday and confirming the projection from the official site:
And here’s the expected power play setup:
The Islanders begin the season with a “we’ll show the doubters” mentality, since very few expect to them to be more than a bubble team at best.
Mathieu Darche spoke beforehand and said, among other things, that 38-year-old Semyon Varlamov’s surgically repaired knees do not need to be monitored. I want to believe.
Historical Notes
This is one of those 1st-overall-vs.-1st-overall moments, as Matthew Schaefer (2025 #1 pick, in case you forgot) and Gavin McKenna (2026 #1 pick) face off for the first time.
It’s also a rare Isles opener in Canada, and a first-ever opener in September.
