The New York Islanders visit the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on Thursday, October 29, 2026, with puck drop set for 8:00 PM EDT.
Matchup: New York Islanders (6-4-2, 14 points in 2026-27) at Minnesota Wild (9-3-2, 20 points in 2026-27)
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
Puck drop: 8:00 PM EDT (7:00 PM CDT local)
Venue: Grand Casino Arena
How to watch: MIN: MINNHL, Wild+ · NYI: MSGSN
New York Islanders News & Notes
Semyon Varlamov earned his first NHL win since 2024 on Oct. 27, holding on as the Islanders beat Nashville 5-4 in a shootout. New York built a three-goal lead before the Predators rallied to force overtime, and the game went past regulation tied. The victory also ended a long stretch of trouble for the Islanders in Nashville, where results had gone against them in recent visits.
Minnesota Wild News & Notes
Bill Guerin addressed Quinn Hughes’ contract situation this week and offered little clarity. The general manager said there is nothing to talk about right now and that the two sides have not discussed an extension in a long time, adding that he has not really decided how to handle the file. Guerin also acknowledged he does not know what is going to happen. The remarks drew immediate reaction from Wild supporters and were widely circulated.
The winning has continued through the trip. Minnesota came out of a fight-filled night in Utah with another victory, then beat the New York Islanders 5-2 for its third win in four games. Kirill Kaprizov has stayed in the middle of it, extending a scoring run that has carried the offense. The Wild now lead the Western Conference with 20 points, and the Islanders were described around the team as a close opponent.
New York Islanders Projected Lines
Line 1: Simon Holmstrom – Bo Horvat – Kyle Palmieri
Line 2: Emil Heineman – Brayden Schenn – Victor Eklund
Line 3: Ondrej Palat – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Anthony Duclair
Line 4: Casey Cizikas – Mitchell Chaffee
Pair 1: Logan Stanley – Matthew Schaefer
Pair 2: Adam Pelech – Ryan Pulock
Pair 3: Scott Mayfield – Tony DeAngelo
Goaltenders: Ilya Sorokin – Semyon Varlamov
New York Islanders Special Teams
Power play, First unit: Kyle Palmieri – Bo Horvat – Brayden Schenn – Simon Holmstrom – Matthew Schaefer
Power play, Second unit: Ondrej Palat – Emil Heineman – Anthony Duclair – Victor Eklund – Tony DeAngelo
Penalty kill, First unit: Ondrej Palat – Casey Cizikas – Adam Pelech – Matthew Kessel
Penalty kill, Second unit: Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Simon Holmstrom – Logan Stanley – Ryan Pulock
Minnesota Wild Projected Lines
Line 1: Kirill Kaprizov – Joel Eriksson Ek – Matt Boldy
Line 2: Blake Coleman – Michael McCarron – Bobby Brink
Line 3: Yakov Trenin – Danila Yurov – Maxim Shabanov
Line 4: Nico Sturm – Ryan Hartman – Tyler Pitlick
Pair 1: Quinn Hughes – Jared Spurgeon
Pair 2: Jonas Brodin – Olli Maatta
Pair 3: Matt Kiersted – Zach Bogosian
Goaltenders: Jesper Wallstedt – Calvin Pickard
Minnesota Wild Special Teams
Power play, First unit: Maxim Shabanov – Joel Eriksson Ek – Kirill Kaprizov – Quinn Hughes – Matt Boldy
Power play, Second unit: Blake Coleman – Ryan Hartman – Danila Yurov – Bobby Brink – Jonas Brodin
Penalty kill, First unit: Michael McCarron – Blake Coleman – Olli Maatta – Zach Bogosian
Penalty kill, Second unit: Yakov Trenin – Nico Sturm – Jared Spurgeon – Jonas Brodin
Players To Watch
Brayden Schenn — New York Islanders
Schenn scored on his only shot last time out in 19:15, and the underlying work backs it up. Box Score Junkie has him at 54.7% Corsi-for this season with 65.2 shot attempts for per 60 and 5.9 high-danger xG generated while he’s on the ice, plus four goals on 3.2 expected.
Quinn Hughes — Minnesota Wild
Hughes posted two assists in 29:54 last game and drives everything Minnesota does. Per Box Score Junkie, he sits at 66.2% Corsi-for this season with 79.2 shot attempts for per 60 and 15.2 high-danger xG generated while on the ice across 380 minutes. An assist prop is the obvious angle.
Injury Report
New York Islanders
Matias Maccelli (LW) — Injured Reserve, Lower Body, expected back Tuesday, November 17
Calum Ritchie (C) — Injured Reserve, Lower Body, expected back Tuesday, December 1
Alexander Romanov (D) — Injured Reserve, Knee, expected back Thursday, April 8
Mathew Barzal (C) — Injured Reserve, Knee, expected back Saturday, November 7
Minnesota Wild
Jared Spurgeon (D) — Day-To-Day, Undisclosed, expected back Thursday, October 29
Filip Gustavsson (G) — Injured Reserve, Hip, expected back Thursday, November 19
Marcus Foligno (LW) — Injured Reserve, Lower Body, expected back Thursday, October 29
Nick Foligno (LW) — Injured Reserve, Upper Body, expected back Thursday, October 29
Brock Faber (D) — Injured Reserve, Skull, expected back Tuesday, November 3
Betting Odds
Moneyline (DraftKings, as of October 29 at 4:16 AM ET): New York Islanders +160, Minnesota Wild -192.
Odds change through the day; check the sportsbook before betting. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Next Up
New York Islanders: host the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, October 31.
Minnesota Wild: visit the Washington Capitals on Sunday, November 1.