Training camp is a chance for every player to prove their worth. When it comes to the New York Islanders, this camp should be one of the most competitive ones we've seen in quite a while.
There's an abundance of center and wingers -- a good problem to have -- but it also means that difficult choices are on the horizon for first-year general manager Mathieu Darche.
Like many NHL teams, the Islanders will likely run a 23-man roster, with two extra forwards and an extra defenseman. That means that, at some point, the Islanders will need to cut 38 players from their training camp roster.
Now, some of the cuts are straightforward -- Kashawn Aitcheson and Burke Hood are returning to juniors -- but when it comes to other decisions, one obstacle could be a deciding factor: waivers.
For example, if the Islanders are deciding between Isaiah George and Adam Boqvist for the seventh defenseman job, only one of these players -- George -- is waiver-exempt. Would the Islanders risk losing Boqvist?
What about Ethan Bear, a right-side defenseman with 275 NHL games under his belt?
New York Islanders 2025 Training Camp: Roster Battles & CompetitionAfter an offseason that featured a blockbuster trade, the first overall pick, and a few free agent additions, the New York Islanders head into training camp with some unanswered questions.
When it comes to the forward group, which of Pierre Engvall, Marc Gatcomb, or Kyle MacLean won't make the cut? Does Calum Ritchie earn a job, meaning only one of the three names above makes the roster?
Ritchie is waiver-exempt, by the way. We'll note that so is Maxim Shabanov, but he's making the team.
Engvall, given that he is in year three of a seven-year deal worth $3 million, is unlikely to be claimed, but it's possible that MacLean and Gatcomb would be.
Goaltending will be the biggest position to watch. If...if Semyon Varlamov actually is ready to start the season, I doubt that the Islanders will be carrying him, Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich, the latter who was signed as a Varlamov insurance policy.
If Rittich isn't kept, he'll hit the waiver wire before the start of the season, along with Marcus Hogberg. Goaltenders are always in high demand, and we are already seeing teams, -- the Colorado Avalanche's Mackenzie Blackwood may not be ready for the start of the season -- in need of bolstering their goaltending.
This is not to say that the risk of losing someone to waivers is the only reason to keep them on the NHL roster. But it is certainly something that Darche will be keeping in mind.
The players mentioned, if waived, would hit the wire the day before all teams have to send in their NHL cap-compliant rosters. So, for many teams, they are trying to shed cap, not add more on.
That's why you rarely see players claimed during that final waiver day. So, it's very possible that the players the Islanders do ultimately waive pass through cleanly.
Also, keep in mind that if a player passes through waivers and is recalled, he can be on the NHL roster for a maximum of 30 days or have played in 10 NHL games to need to pass through waivers again.
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