The New York Islanders missed the playoffs last season. That tends to make a general manager do some shopping.
Mathieu Darche, the Islanders’ GM, has been busy. He brought in Vitek Vanecek as a backup goalie. And now he’s adding forward Matias Maccelli on a one-year contract worth $2.25 million against the cap. NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun confirmed the deal on X.
A Change of Scenery for Maccelli
Maccelli was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Coyotes back in 2019. After a few years in Finland, he came to North America in 2021-22 and split time between the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners and the big club. His NHL debut that season went fine, but nothing special. One goal and five assists in 23 games.
The Coyotes became the Utah Mammoth. Last offseason, Utah shipped Maccelli to the Maple Leafs. The hope was he could help replace some of the offense lost when Mitch Marner left Toronto. It didn’t really work out. Maccelli put up 14 goals and 25 assists in 70 games for the Leafs. That’s not bad, but it’s not what they needed.
In 295 career NHL games, Maccelli has 51 goals and 118 assists. The Islanders are betting the 25-year-old can find another gear on Long Island.
What This Means for the Islanders
This is a low-risk move. One year at $2.25 million. If Maccelli clicks with new coach Peter DeBoer’s system, the Islanders get a decent middle-six forward at a reasonable price. If he doesn’t, they’re not tied to anything long-term.
DeBoer took over late last season after the Islanders fired Patrick Roy. The team missed the postseason entirely, which hasn’t happened often for this group. They’ve been a bubble team for a couple years now. Darche is trying to add depth without blowing up the core.
Maccelli isn’t a star. But he’s young enough that a fresh start might unlock something. The Islanders need scoring. He’s shown flashes of playmaking ability. For $2.25 million, that’s worth a look.
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