After a season in which the NY Islanders suffered immensely in their own end, a point of emphasis heading into 2025-26 was going to be improving on their end of the ice.
For the most part, the defensive core has improved, aside from one pairing.
After being one of the team's better pairings last season, the combination of Alexander Romanov and Tony DeAngelo has deteriorated.
DeAngelo and Romanov are trending downward
Romanov and DeAngelo were two of Patrick Roy’s most trusted defensemen last season, leading all blue liners in 5v5 ice-time, both averaging around 19 minutes per game - the top two for all Islanders defensemen.