New York Islanders Practice Media Availabilities | 10/12/25

New York Islanders Practice Media Availabilities | 10/12/25

wanted to ask you about um what’s impressed you most about Schaefer’s composure last night. Yeah, I mean, you know, as a 18-year-old, it’s uh pretty special. It’s not it’s not an easy league and the way he skates, the way he moves, confidence with the puck, and you know, jumping up, making plays and stuff. And then for me, like defensively, too, he’s he’s back there. He’s helping me. So, it’s uh it’s been fun to play with him. A pretty unique goal that he scored first one in in his career. What do you make of it? Yeah, that’s uh definitely one of one of the more unique ones. Um, you know, not too many times you see a Dman diving head first in the crease, but it’s, uh, you know, he saw the puck pop out, made the read, and, uh, was able to bury it, so happy for him. Not too many times you see a defenseman of his age shoulder that much workload, that many minutes. Um, what’s impressed you about the way he’s handled that? Yeah, I mean, that’s just part of, uh, you know, the player he is. Um, the skating, the way he moves. Um, it’s almost effortless. He, uh, he has a motor on him and it’s, uh, it’s fun to watch. course he did impress in his his NHL debut on Thursday, but what were the differences you noticed as his D partner from game one to game two? Um, you know, I think the whole process from day one of camp has just been uh you know, getting experience, getting more comfortable, um, knowing the guys, all that stuff. And, you know, he’s done great with it. So, it’s uh it’s kind of what I expected a little bit, but um, no, he’s uh special player and doing some good things. Ask you about Casey Sikas. He’s expected to hit his 900th game milestone tomorrow. what’s he meant to you over the years? Um, you know, Casey’s, you know, one of my best friends of the team. Just, uh, all around good guy, true pro. Um, the way he plays, he plays hard. He brings it every day. Uh, the energy he brings, it’s uh, it’s been fun to play with him for a while. What has his veteran leadership meant to this group over the years? Um, it’s huge. You know, we we definitely have an older team and, um, you know, we take pride in that. That’s part of, you know, whether it’s helping younger guys out or just being there for each other, it’s uh, it’s something we all take pride in and he’s right at the top of the list. So, I want to ask about what’s impressed you most about Schaefer’s composure last night. Well, I I just think, you know, his confidence and, you know, he he uh he he plays with, you know, just that drive. He he’s not really worried about what’s around him. Just his using his instincts, using his feet. Um, you know, the way he skates just can get him out of so much trouble. And I think the first two games we’ve seen that of him just using that to his advantage for him to manage a workload of over 26 minutes last night. Just how impressive and rare is that for a defenseman of his age? Yeah. Um you know, he’s young. He’s got those young legs. But no, he uh you know, I think just the way he was moving last night, he was dangerous all over the ice and and when that’s the case, you know, obviously you’re going to keep him out there. And um you know, on the power play, I thought he did a great job. Uh late in the game, he did a great job. Um, you know, I I just think nothing really phases him. Uh, you know, he he steps up in every moment. Um, you know, he’s he’s he’s just uh you know, kid hasn’t played much hockey in the last year and whatever it’s been and you know, he he steps in here and he he looks uh he looks really good. And his goal is pretty unique. What do you make of it? Yeah, a little greasy. Uh that’s that’s how it is. Um, you know, I just think the instincts he had, um, you know, instincts to score, instincts, hungry to get there, and obviously puck squirted for him, and he made a great diving play to to put it in. I want to ask you about your longtime teammate, Casey Zikas, going to hit his 900th game tomorrow. Um, just what has he meant to this locker room over the years? Yeah, he’s he’s a bit of the face in here. Um, you know, longest tenure. Um, you know, he’s been grinding every single night. He he goes to work every night blocking shots, battling, whatever it takes to help the team win. And I think just, you know, great locker room guy. Um just always always smiling, always laughing. Uh just a energy bug for us. So um obviously 900 games is a lot of hockey games and you know he’s earned every one of them the way the way he’s gone to work. You mentioned just his longest tenure status. How does he kind of bring that Islander’s identity to the room uh day in day out? Yeah, I mean I think uh you know that’s he he kind of exemplifies that just his work um you know on the ice, his compete level every night finishing checks for checking. Um he’s he’s just that identity player and he has been for a long time here. Well, we’re going to try different things. Um obviously we lost and um it’s a long year so we’re going to like I just said we we lost the last two games. Sometimes you need to try different things. Um, Pager and Anders played together uh two two years ago and they played really well. Um, I think Shabi will benefit from that. Um, also having Dwayne back with with Arvat and um, linemen will be a good I thought they play really well together and I think Anthony deserve to be bumpin. I mean uh, he played really well. Soon now he’s going to play with Barzy and Pomzy and then uh Simon will be with Casey and Simplicov. What have you seen from Barzal and Schaefer when both of them are on the ice together? Well, I mean I will say this. I mean they seem to trust each other a lot and then um there’s a connection there. So I mean I thought that they were moving the puck very well together and so it was it was exciting to watch um Schaefer last game. I mean, for fan perspective, I’m sure they they love that what they see. Some of the Capitals are more physical against him than the Penguin. Just how do you see him handle that all night long? Schaefer. Yeah. Outstanding. Outstanding. He um Yeah, I thought that the battles were good. Um I thought he was picking and choosing the right time to be into the rush. um in the ozone he was over you know he was handling the puck very well make right decisions and defensively I thought he defended very well you know I mean so I mean it’s tempting to play him the you know the minutes but again we’re going to be there for him we’re going to give him whatever it takes for him to to grow and learn and there’s going to be moments where we’re going to pull a bit but I as of as of now, there’s no reason to do that. He said that he he wants to get more more shots through. Just what are you seeing from his shot selection? I think I mean I think they were getting knocked down like right in front. Yeah, but I mean I think the intentions are there and and the the ones that he throw at the net, they were I know the couple of them missed the net, but I mean come on, he’s 18 years old and I thought that they they were very dangerous ones. So I mean I’m sure it’ll turn positive. with all the attention that he’s getting, the positive attention. Do you ever worry about the the your veterans jealousy, resentment or or that you have such a veteran core that they understand how good this guy asking this question is because you don’t know our team. Our team is about team. Uh no one will be jealous of a a good hockey player actually. I mean, I think our vets have been so good to him. I mean, some brought him at their home for dinner, some went to dinner with him. Uh, they’ve been taking care of him. They know how special he is. So, um, when someone says things like this, they don’t know this dressing room. What impresses you most about Schaffefer’s mindset? He seems very even kill game by game, but to have that mindset at 18 years old, what does that say to you? Well, that’s a perception I had from the get-go, you know, very humble, uh, very even kill. Um, so And it’s funny because you still want to learn, you know, just the way you talking to me. So, I mean, um, it’s fun to watch. Is the plan to go with Ilia tomorrow? Yes. Just as Shabbanov adjusts to the North American game, what differences have you seen between game one and game two for him? I’m very happy. I mean, the play he made in that second period was wow. Okay, it’s not kid yourself. I mean, you need to have skills and talent to do things like this. I think we’re going to see more and more of those. But the way he defense, you know, and I think I mentioned that, but he has, you know, ask him, well, why are you so worried about defense? Because defense win championship. So when a player tells you things like this and the way he’s been defending speak by itself, you know, like someone could just say, “Oh, I want to play well defensively, but when they’re on the ice, they don’t do it.” The kid does it. So I’m very impressed with him. When it comes to the breakout, I have time for him. when it comes to the breakouts just what on the plays that haven’t worked out just what are you what are you seeing on those? I would say this, the moment that we we had a bit of most problems, it’s it’s not the breakout itself. It’s coming out of our Dzone, you know, coming out of Dzone, we have so the wall play, we miss, you know, some place or sometimes we just get our pass, you know, the other team does a good job taking away that those passes, but we need to be better coming out of our Dzone coverage. That’s when we put our hands have that poise and and I know we will. We will. Do you have Do you have in your head an idea of how many games you would like to see Ilia play in the year or you take it week, you know, week by week other than 82? Well, is that No, no. I I I I know exactly the workload I needs, but right now there’s it’s the start of the season, so we have two very good goalies. Um, very confident in both of them. Ilia is one of the best in the game. So there’s no reason for us to not use him right now. The schedule is not I mean maybe tomorrow like we play last night and we afternoon game but after that we have two days off before playing Edmonton and I’m sure we’ll consider to give him a a game off soon after that. So let’s play our home and we want to win at home. We have great fans. Our fan base deserve to to see us winning some hockey games. So, I want to make sure that I gives us that that best chance. What do you see from the power play yesterday? I mean, other than scoring the two goals, do you see much of a different I guess outside of just finishing than the Pittsburgh game or you thought they just built off that one? I feel I It’s funny because um I my feeling was I could see the improvement every day. I mean, not just on our breakout, on our triggers, the way we move the puck, the guys start to feel what the the PK does to us. So, I feel like they’re they’re starting to reading options. I I really like the way um Ry brings it, breaks it down, explain to the players. Uh right now, meetings are a little long, but I mean, I think we need this. Same thing with the penalty killing. I thought we had a great job. We I mean at the end of the day I mean our guys were blocking shots. Simon had a big block. I mean we had uh Pelle Poly I mean uh Maisy. So I mean and then we had great save at at sometimes by Ilia. So that’s that’s what the PK is and that’s what the power play is at the same time. So in that game the special units were really good. I mean I it’s too bad because the third goal I mean the puck was going wide hit us and went in. But other than this, I mean, if we’re getting better in our coming out of Dzone, coming in Dzone, and eliminate those line change, we gave like what, three or four good chances off the line change. We need to be better in there’s some areas we need to clean up and be better. That’s for sure. I know Holstrom skated today. He’s good to go. Yeah. Okay. And just with Casey Zikas, I think so. Wanted to ask you about Casey Zikas. He’s going to skate in his 900th game tomorrow. what has he meant to this this room and his veteran leadership since you’ve been here? Well, it’s it’s it’s a great accomplishment. I’m sure I’m sure he’s pretty proud of himself and but um for a guy that that night after night, you know exactly what you’re going to get from him, energy, and a guy that that will work and be very resilient in his work. So, um I have just good things to say about him. How does he kind of set the tone with his work ethic for maybe the younger guys in the room? I’m sure it brings I’m sure it’s a good model for the younger guys, but at the same time, I mean, I think that it’s good for the entire

Hear from Scott Mayfield, Ryan Pulock, and Patrick Roy after today’s practice.