Mattias Maccelli Islanders sign

Jan 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matias MacCelli (63) before a game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Islanders have kicked off free agency by signing a trio of players to short-term deals.

General manager Mathieu Darche has signed winger Matias Maccelli to a one-year contract worth $2.25 million per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. They also added some goalie depth in Vitek Vanecek, who will provide some much-needed help behind Ilya Sorokin, and inked blueliner Matthew Kessel.

The 25-year-old Maccelli played last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, scoring 14 goals and recording 39 points in 71 games. While undersized at 5-foot-11, Maccelli is a gifted playmaker and has managed to produce points at different stops thus far in his career, although he hasn’t always been able to round out his game enough to secure a bigger role up the lineup. 

It’s easy to envision Maccelli playing alongside one of the Islanders’ snipers, such as Bo Horvat, and setting them up for easy goals. He’ll need to show he has the two-way chops to hold down a position like that, but for only $2.25 million against the cap, it’s a savvy bet. 

Vanecek, a 30-year-old backup goalie, was signed for just $1 million. While starter Ilya Sorokin is one of the league’s best and sure to be in the Vezina Trophy conversation next season, the Islanders lack a solid backup. 38-year-old Semyon Varlamov missed all of last season due to injury, and there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to go next year. Vanecek can replace David Rittich, who was the backup last year and is now an unrestricted free agent. 

Kessel was a fifth-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by the St. Louis Blues. He checks a lot of boxes as a right-handed blueliner who is listed at 6-foot-3. He has been part-time in the NHL over the last few seasons, playing 29 games and scoring two goals last year. The Islanders signed him to a one-way, one-year contract worth $850,000 per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. 

All of these signings will help the Islanders round out their roster with solid pieces around the edges as they look to improve on this season and make the playoffs next year in their first full campaign under Peter DeBoer. 

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com