With just four games remaining in the regular season, the New York Islanders have replaced head coach Patrick Roy with Peter DeBoer. The hiring reportedly includes term, so DeBoer is expected to serve as head coach beyond this season.

This is the second surprise coaching announcement in the past week, with John Tortorella taking over from Bruce Cassidy in Vegas last Sunday. As much as the timing is not typical, can you blame the Islanders for at least trying to change course? The Islanders have lost their last four games, while the Golden Knights are 3-for-3 with their new bench boss. Although the Isles are hanging on to third place in the Metropolitan Division, their spot is tenuous because they are currently tied for 10^th in the Eastern Conference in points percentage. If this maneuver works, expect more underachieving teams in a playoff race to try it.

Fantasy Take: Vegas Replaces Cassidy with Torts in Shocker Move

Even with the change being sudden, DeBoer and the Islanders players will have a few days to get to know each other, as they do not play again until Thursday against Toronto. DeBoer may want to acquaint himself to Ilya Sorokin, given how his mishandling of Jake Oettinger in the 2025 playoffs led to his firing in Dallas. Sorokin has appeared in all of the Islanders' last 11 games, with the last four games resulting in losses. Roy was a former goalie, so he perhaps has a better understanding of the challenges of the position. Regardless, Sorokin will be the one player to watch here. DeBoer may actually help by adding more defensive structure, as Sorokin had been facing a ton of high-danger shots recently.

Despite how his last job ended, DeBoer is an experienced NHL head coach with a track record of success. In six of the last eight seasons, he has taken his team to the conference final. Even though he has not won a Stanley Cup as a head coach, DeBoer has a winning (662-447-152) career record. Beyond the here and now, the Islanders could also be making this hire now to get ahead of the usual offseason coaching churn.

With many fantasy leagues wrapping up soon, the implications may not really come to play until next season. The only prominent UFAs-to-be on the Islanders are Anders Lee, Tony DeAngelo, Carson Soucy, and David Rittich. The Isles, like most teams under a rising cap, have most of their core locked in for next season and may not make major offseason changes even if they miss the playoffs. DeBoer may not have time to make radical changes quickly, but the hope is that he can provide new ideas to get the Isles back on track both this season and beyond.

One other point: Perhaps Roy should be given credit for how he deployed Matthew Schaefer right off the bat. Not many coaches would have handed an 18-year-old so much responsibility right away.

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