It's no secret that the New York Islanders have struggled to land top-flight free agents. While success on the ice plays a massive role in accomplishing that, Long Island isn't a place that many players really know much about. 

When players think of New York, especially if those players are from across the Atlantic Ocean, their first thought is New York City, because that's all they know -- completely understandable. 

The New York Rangers, as an original six franchise that frequently appears on national television, play a significant role in this, which means the Islanders must work even harder to market their franchise.

Once players get to Long Island, whether they knew about it or not, they very rarely leave.

Josh Bailey, Cal Clutterbuck, and Thomas Hickey are just a few recent players who, after their playing days came to a close, remain. But, going back to the glory days for the franchise, the likes of John Tonelli, Butch Goring, and Bobby Nystrom still reside on Long Island. 

So, how do the Islanders do a better job marketing their franchise as a true hot-spot destination?

The easy answer is you just give Islanders star forward Mathew Barzal a microphone and ask him what he loves about being on Long Island.

On Tuesday, Barzal did his first-ever podcast interview, outside of 32 Thoughts, when he jumped on the ForePlay Pod with his bud, Isanders' super fan Frankie Borrelli.

When the conversation about the Islanders' future started, Borrelli paused before thanking Barzal for committing to Long Island, as he's currently about to enter the second season of an eight-year extension worth $9.15 million.

Borrelli asked Barzal why he ultiamtely decided that this is where he wanted to be long term.

"And another thing too, is like, it's underrated on the island," Barzal said. "Like, people don't, and I think we've said it so much, but it really is. I mean, the other day, we go play on one of the nicest golf courses in the world, and then Chris Stapleton is 10 minutes away, and all the boys stick around. But even aside from that, UBS Arena is incredible. Our practice facility is wicked. It's tight. You're 30 minutes, 40 minutes from the city, the best city in the world."

Just listen to the way Mat Barzal speaks about Long Island. The impact that Barzy has had on hockey on the Island is second to none. Ever since the day we drafted him he embraced us and remained loyal to an area that he knew nothing about. #Isles

That's my next Captain. pic.twitter.com/TPlM5HizTh

— Isles Rumor (@IslesRumor) July 29, 2025

Barzal bragging about Long Island is nothing new. When he signed his contract, he spoke about the fans and the beaches and the city, all that good stuff. 

But now, with Lou Lamoriello out, having the ability to go on podcasts and promote the Islanders franchise and the way of life here could play a part in landing free agents. 

As mentioned previously, especially in hockey, the chance to win is the biggest advertisement. And while the Islanders may not be a Stanley Cup contender yet, Barzal's high praise for the prospect pool and his excitement about the team's potential in the next three years is an advertisement that might attract some free agents to consider the Islanders. 

No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, by just the way he talks and carries himself, on top of the on-ice talent that he is, should help in marketing the Islanders as a premier destination.

Having Mathieu Darche at the helm now, someone who understands the importance of transparency, the importance of marketing, and the importance of fan engagement, is vital in everything we've just discussed. 

Until the Islanders do land a coveted free agent, talk is cheap. 

However, unlike years past where the Islanders are salary-cap strapped, Darche's decisions this past offseason actually have the Islanders in a good spot come next summer, especially if he trades a player or two on expiring deals by the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline or makes some cap-clearing moves at the 2026 NHL Draft.

Islanders Will Have Money To Spend Next Summer But How Much Is The Question?The

Under Lamoriello, the Islanders never truly had the money to be competitiors in the free agent market. The Hockey Hall of Fame executive did his damage around the trade deadline, landing the likes of Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau over the years. 

But, especially with salary caps rising and more teams having money, getting pending free agents to agree to premature extensions is only going to get harder. 

Branding matters and Barzal is doing the best he can to make sure people know that Long Island is a slept-on spot. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

PHOTO: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Welcome back to another Vancouver Canucks 2024–25 report card. In this series, The Hockey News - Canucks site discusses the 2024–25 seasons of active Canucks who played at least 10 games with Vancouver. Today, we’ll be taking a look at how Victor Mancini performed in the 2024–25 season. 

Mancini only played 16 games with Vancouver, but that was enough for the club to be impressed with his showings early on. The right-shot defender was acquired by Vancouver on January 31 as part of the deal that sent J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers. Before arriving in Vancouver, Mancini played in 15 games for the Rangers, scoring a goal and four assists. He spent most of his time with the Hartford Wolf Pack, New York’s AHL affiliate, tallying three goals and seven assists. 

Due to lineup shuffles that included Quinn Hughes sitting due to injury and Marcus Pettersson coming in via trade, Mancini didn’t get into his first game with Vancouver until after the 4 Nations Faceoff break, on February 23. During this month of non-NHL play, he joined the Abbotsford Canucks, skating in five of their games and tallying one assist. From then on, he stayed with Vancouver until being sent down towards the end of the season so he could be eligible to play in the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs. He potted his first point as a Canuck on March 12 against the Calgary Flames and finished the NHL season with a goal and two assists. 

In the NHL, Mancini made a positive impact overall, especially considering the fact that this was his first season. In the AHL, however, Mancini was arguably the team’s best defender. Mancini gained Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra’s trust early on, becoming a reliable defenceman on all sides of the ice as well as in any situations. Despite only being with the team for a few games, it was clear that Mancini had become a big part of the locker room’s character alongside the leadership group. In Abbotsford’s 24-game Calder Cup win, Mancini scored three goals and five assists and put 30 shots on net. 

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Despite the limited NHL sample size, Mancini had a solid season despite moving around both on the NHL and AHL level. He played for a total of four professional teams this year and managed to impress with all of them — all at the age of 23. While he does still have room to grow and improve as a player, Mancini has the time to do so. For this reason, he receives a B+ for the 2024–25 season. 

Mancini will be a player to watch come training camp in September. He is one of a few defencemen who could push for a full-time spot on Vancouver’s roster if he has a good pre-season. As a 23-year-old right-shot defenceman who has shown good potential at the NHL level, Mancini is a valuable asset within the organization who could become an important piece to the team’s puzzle in the future. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Jets re-sign key blueliner Dylan Samberg to five-year deal with $5.75 million cap hit

The Winnipeg Jets have re-signed defenseman Dylan Samberg to a five-year contract extension worth $5.75 million per season, securing the 26-year-old through the 2029–30 NHL season. The deal reinforces Samberg's status as a key piece of the Jets' defensive core following a solid 2024–25 campaign.

Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) on XDylan Samberg 3 x $5.75M Winnipeg

Last season, Samberg played in 60 regular-season games, recording six goals and 14 assists for a career-high 20 points. He posted an impressive plus-minus rating of +34 and averaged heavy minutes at over 21 minutes of ice time per game.

Samberg also led the Jets in blocked shots with 120 and contributed 56 hits, highlighting his steady, physical presence on the back end. In the playoffs, he added three assists over 13 games during before the Jets were eliminated by the Dallas Stars

Originally drafted 43rd overall in 2017, Samberg has developed into a top-four, all-situations defenseman since making his NHL debut in 2021. His partnership with defenceman Neal Pionk has been a difference maker for the franchise. 

Although they typically play on the second defensive pairing, the duo logged 710 minutes together across 48 games. During that time, they were on the ice for 36 goals scored, surpassing more heavily used pairings such as Vegas' Noah Hanifin and Alex Pietrangelo, who had 771 minutes and 34 goals, and Minnesota's Brock Faber and Jake Middleton, who played 945 minutes but were on for just 32 goals.

Samberg is entering his prime with more solid years ahead of him as the Jets look to extend their streak of owning the league's best defence for a third straight season.

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