The biggest move that the New York Islanders made for the 2026-27 season actually came before the 2025-26 campaign came to a close.

With four games remaining and their playoff hopes extinguished, the Islanders decided to make a major change. Head coach Patrick Roy was fired and replaced by Peter DeBoer, as New York’s decision-makers wanted to get ahead of other teams that could pursue him to take over their team.

Given the track record that DeBoer has in his career, Islanders fans are hoping that he can help turn things around on Long Island rapidly. Heading into training camp, he is going to have one major task to accomplish: setting a defensive structure.

There was a ton of pressure on goalie Ilya Sorokin last season to put the team on his back and carry them to success. Early in the season, he was able to do it, helping New York overachieve on the ice.

Apr 12, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer speaks to his team prior to their game against the Montréal Canadiens at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alexander Wohl-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, he started to wear down as the campaign moved along. He admitted as much over the summer, leading the NHL with seven shutouts but not playing at the high level that had become the norm.

Having a capable backup goalie will help keep Sorokin fresh for the whole season and what the team hopes is a deep playoff push. But defensive scheme will also play a major part, and DeBoer has a chance to make a massive impact in that regard.

A few weeks ago, he highlighted a few areas on the ice the Islanders had to improve if they wanted to take that leap. It was an impressive achievement, recording 91 points, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs.

To get back into the postseason, DeBoer is going to put an emphasis on controlling the puck, limiting turnovers, and not hemorrhaging scoring chances to the opposition. The defensemen depth chart is a strength for New York; it will be up to the new head coach to put them in position to excel on both ends of the ice.

DeBoer is one of the most successful coaches in NHL history, especially when it comes to the playoffs. That isn’t by mistake; his scheme has a proven track record of working, and he has taken four different franchises to the Conference Finals on eight different occasions.

The Islanders are certainly hoping that turns into five and nine. Expectations are different for them than at the last two stops DeBoer made, but ownership is willing to do anything to build a winner, and their new head coach is the right person for the job.