Islanders Alter Power Play Unit Ahead Of Game vs. Edmonton
Ahead of their game against the Edmonton Oilers, the New York Islanders have made some changes to their power play.
The Rematch: Islanders' Matthew Schaefer vs. Edmonton's McDavid & Draisaitl — Part 2 Rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer faces McDavid and Draisaitl again, minutes and stakes higher. Can he prove his growth against hockey's elite?
After going 0-for-6 for the first three games of their seven-game road trip, power-play coach Ray Bennett has elected to play Simon Holmstrom on the top unit, moving the struggling Jonathan Drouin to the second unit.
#Isles PP this morning.
PP1
Schaefer
Barzal-Holmstrom-Heineman
Ritchie
PP2
DeAngelo
Drouin-Duclair-Shabanov
Lee
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) January 15, 2026
This change did happen late in their 5-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, I believe.
Holmstrom has been playing at the top of his game as of late, with four goals and one assist over his last four games. Drouin, who signed a two-year deal this summer worth $4 million annually, has gone 23 games without a goal. He has six assists over that span.
"I want him to focus on things that he can control, and what you control is how you play every shift," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said following Thursday's morning skate. "Do not worry about the result. The result will come. I do believe that. I always believe that if you work hard on the ice, do things right, eventually things will go your way. He's a very smart player and sees the ice well." (H/t Avry Lewis-McDougall).
The Islanders' power play sits last in the NHL at 15.2 percent. They've been, more or less, able to overcome the man-advantage issues this season thanks to strong defense and tremendous goaltending, both of which have played a part in their penalty-kill bounce-back.
We'll see if Holmstrom can take advantage of his elevated power-play role.
Puck drop between the Islanders and Oilers comes your way at 9 PM ET.
