Lighthouse Hockey: Try to fixate on something else.
The Islanders made their lone pick with little fanfare on what was a never-ending first day of the draft: Malte Gustafsson, a tall, swift-skating, left-side defenseman who’s already had pro-league experience at age 17 with HV71 in Sweden, was their pick at 13th overall. The Isles went into the draft with four picks on the […]
League moves and rumors continued throughout the first day of the NHL Draft, with at least one Islanders update and one “can confirm” thing that got people up in arms but is likely nothing. First, the Islanders announced the re-signing of defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a two-year contract at $4.5 million per year. Damn, nice […]
Along with our friend Lisa, aka IslesChick, we reveal the 2026 winner of the Don Cutts Trophy as the Weirdest Islander of the Year for 2026. It was a weird season for the Islanders, who had good streaks and bad and historic performances and horrible ones on the way to a disappointing finish. Within that […]
Tonight’s the night…the first round of the NHL Draft takes place via conference calls and hopefully through less-awkward TV means than last year (though we’ll never forget that Matthew Schaefer moment). Islanders News Elsewhere Not the Draft
What was supposed to be an easy episode about the draft turned into a look at a wild few days in the NHL and where the Islanders sit among the craziness. We don’t know anything about prospects. So we reached out to our Patrons and asked them who they’d like to see the Islanders draft […]
The Brady Tkachuk trade was only the beginning; lots of trades of name players continue to roll around the league in the lead-up to the draft. Meanwhile, the Islanders made a front-office move that I will take some getting used to, because I’m petty like that. Islanders News Elsewhere
The Islanders are just days away from adding another top prospect to their system, unless they trade their pick for a 30-year-old. The mock drafts overfloweth; someone rated between 10th and 18th will probably be theirs. It will be both brilliant and inexcusable, a steal and a reach. Islanders News Elsewhere
The week leading into the NHL Draft has kicked off with a bang as the long-speculated joining of the Tkachuk brothers has come to fruition. The Florida Panthers, back-to-back Cup winners and three-time finalists before falling off due to injuries in 2025-26, are reloading by acquiring Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators for a package […]
The offseason got a jolt, though at the expense of an already uninspiring July 1, when the top blueline UFA was taken off the market via a sign-and-trade. It’s not a riveting post-Cup June just yet, but a trade every other day isn’t a bad clip as we march steadily toward the draft. Islanders News […]
Mike and Dan chat with Islanders first round pick and true renaissance man Josh Ho-Sang about hockey, his music, spreading positivity and a variety of other topics. Islanders fans will remember him from his dramatic drafting, his electric plays on the ice and the headlines he made during his time in the NHL. But Josh […]
I read something recently quoting somebody else who said your favorite World Cup (the soccer version) is the one that happens when you’re about 8-13 years old or so, because it’s when things still feel magical but before you grasp how cynical and corrupt FIFA is and how the world is in general. All that […]
I have a Bernese Mountain Dog named Bear. He’s an absolute doofus, a rescue that we foolishly adopted after he’d basically run the streets of a rural area for the first two years of his life. So he knows not personal space nor manners. He drools — and flings his drool — more than any […]
Mike and Dan recap singings and rumors, and reflect on how the Knicks’ championship makes them think about the Islanders’ chances of reaching the same pinnacle. Bringing back Long Island product Marshall Warren is a nice move, especially since the defenseman showed some promise in just a few NHL games this season. But beyond him […]
The Knicks answered pent-up dreams of half a century, and the World Cup is off to an entertaining start for its 5 billion or so followers, but you can’t sleep on the drama of North Carolina and Las Vegas facing off for the Stanley Cup. Expansion and relocation and sunbelt and other jokes aside, a […]
Along with longtime beat reporter Arthur Staple, we discuss Nino Niederreiter’s odd Islanders tenure and the lessons we can take away from it even today. Nino Niederreiter was one of a string of high first round picks that, at the time, seemed like safe bets by the Islanders. Strong showings at the World Junior Championships […]
So…anybody gonna be in San Antonio Saturday? What a month this has been for the NHL and NBA finals, each with tremendously entertaining series and, in the Knicks’ case, the chance to make a city explode and unite around a title not seen in half a century. A cup win for Raleigh or Vegas would […]
In terms of Islanders news, we are in that quiet before the draft and free agency storm while the Stanley Cup final plays itself out. Could this be the best final ever? I’ve actually heard a few people say that after three games. They’ve certainly been eventful and exciting thus far, so here’s hoping Carolina […]
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final is Saturday night, with an exciting series thus far. They better get it over before the World Cup takes center stage though. Islanders News Elsewhere
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman used his traditional Stanley Cup final media availability to crow about growing revenues and TV ratings — fuel to increase the next rights fee contracts and boost revenues further — and brag that the game’s never been better. And with the dramatic back-and-forth between the Hurricanes and Golden Knights in Game […]
Joined by Sean Cuthbert of Hockey Night New York, Mike and Dan run down some topics from around the entire Islanders organization, and discuss the upcoming Stanley Cup final. While the Islanders have been mostly quiet – aside from one two-way contract and the letting go of yet another power play coach – there has […]
It’s June! It must be Stanley Cup Final season. That’ll kick off tomorrow with the Hurricanes and Knights. And check back later this morning for the latest Islanders Anxiety podcast, with Sean Cuthbert joining Dan and Mike. Islanders News Elsewhere
In our first ever four-person episode, Mike’s brother David and friend Frank join us to discuss a quartet of short-time Islanders goalies spanning several eras. Goaltending is the lifeblood of any hockey team. When it’s good, a mediocre roster can do great things. When it’s bad, even a talented team can be stopped dead in […]
As we wait for news of who Vegas will meet in the Stanley Cup final (surely Carolina, no?), June is just around the corner, which means the draft, RFA decisions and prep for the UFA period with a thin class will be underway. What the Islanders do, with two top-grade assets but a lot of […]
With the completion of a shocking Vegas sweep of the Avalanche, Brock Nelson’s season is over, taking away my last tepid rooting interest in these playoffs. The remaining teams can all go pound sand. Islanders News NHL News
Hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend (if your country does that) and enjoyed hanging out with friends and watching NHL playoffs like I did. Somewhat shockingly, John Tortorella’s Knights have the Avalanche on the brink of a sweep. Meanwhile, the Carolina-Montreal Offer Sheet Series continues to be a close one. Islanders News We […]