The New York Islanders have begun a comprehensive overhaul of their power play as part of head coach Pete DeBoer’s efforts to address one of the team’s most persistent weaknesses. During the first day of training camp work on the power play Saturday, DeBoer acknowledged the longstanding struggles the team has faced in this area.

“It’s not a quick fix,” DeBoer said. “It hasn’t been good for quite a while.”

The Islanders finished the previous season with a 16.53 percent success rate on the power play, ranking last in the NHL. Given this, DeBoer and assistant coach Rocky Thompson, who oversees the power play, are focusing on rebuilding the units from the ground up.

Line combinations deployed in the initial session featured Matthew Schaefer positioned at the top for the first power-play unit alongside Bo Horvat, Brayden Schenn, Cal Ritchie, and Kyle Palmieri. The second unit included Tony DeAngelo, Anthony Duclair, Emil Heineman, Mattias Maccelli, and Simon Holmstrom.

DeBoer is emphasizing player movement on the ice, a shift from previous seasons when players were often stationary and fixed to rigid positions. “The good power plays are interchangeable,” DeBoer said. “There’s a lot of motion, there’s a lot of movement. There’s a lot of guys moving to different parts of the ice and they’re interchangeable in their positioning.”

Islanders captain Bo Horvat supported this approach, noting the importance of unpredictability. “I think us being a little more fluid and not standing around so much is gonna help for sure,” he said.

Matthew Schaefer’s role is also evolving, as he skated on his off side during the session paired with Adam Pelech. DeBoer indicated that Schaefer’s definitive position will depend on how the defensive corps shapes up, with competition ongoing among Isaiah George, Scott Mayfield, Kashawn Aitcheson, Marshall Warren, and Matt Kessel. George, a left-handed shot, skating alongside Mayfield could require Schaefer to remain on his off side.

The Islanders are operating on a compressed 13-day training camp schedule as they prepare for the preseason opener Sunday in Newark. This condensed timeline has shifted the focus toward systems and structure rather than traditional conditioning drills.

Defensive organization remains a priority for DeBoer. “We prioritize trying to get our structure in defensively,” he explained, underscoring the team’s difficulties in limiting goals last season—a key factor in their failure to qualify for the playoffs. DeBoer made adjustments late in last season’s final games but acknowledges that rebuilding the team’s defensive foundation is a primary task for this offseason.

The team is also adjusting to the absence of Mathew Barzal, who is missing from camp and whose absence highlights the Islanders’ relative lack of offensive firepower compared with typical playoff contenders. Forward Brayden Schenn stressed the importance of defensive discipline as a foundation for success. “We’re latching onto box-outs, just taking care of the middle of the ice,” Schenn said. “We didn’t do a good enough job of that last year. When you collapse in the middle and take away the dangerous parts of the ice, you give yourselves and your goalies the chance to stop pucks.”

DeBoer’s coaching style is noted for its clarity and focus. Schenn described it as “pretty black and white,” with an emphasis on precise execution of breakouts, defensive zone coverage, and neutral zone play. Horvat added that the clear system “makes everybody’s life a lot easier” by reducing the mental burden on players.

Unlike some of his predecessors, DeBoer brings extensive NHL coaching experience and a consistent playoff track record. Since his first full coaching season in 2008-09, which also saw a missed playoff berth, DeBoer has consistently guided teams to postseason contention. Islanders players hope he can replicate the success Barry Trotz had in elevating a talent-challenged team to competitiveness.

Forward Cal Ritchie summarized the team’s evolving identity under DeBoer: “I think [he’s] just really installing an identity for our team to be a fast-paced team. Move the puck quick, move our feet quick, get up and down the ice quick. That’s how you’re gonna generate offense in this league: beat teams quickly and not let them get in position.”

As the Islanders navigate their condensed training camp and preseason schedule, establishing a more dynamic power play and a tighter defensive structure are key priorities in their bid to return to playoff contention.