Islanders: Best Addition & Worst Subtraction Of 2025 NHL Offseason

The NHL season is just about here, which is undoubtedly exciting news for hockey fans. Due to this, we here at NHL Trade Rumors will be starting a series looking at each team's best addition and worst subtraction of the 2025 NHL off-season.

In this latest edition of the series, let's take a look at the New York Islanders.

Best Addition: Matthew Schaefer

After winning the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, the Islanders smartly selected Schaefer with the first overall pick. The 18-year-old defenseman has all the tools to blossom into a legitimate NHL star, so he is easily their most notable addition of the summer. In 17 games last season with the Erie Otters of the OHL, he recorded seven goals, 15 assists, and 22 points.

Worst Subtraction: Noah Dobson

Dobson is without a doubt the Islanders' most significant subtraction of the offseason. The Islanders traded the star blueliner to the Montreal Canadiens ahead of the draft. In 71 games last season with the Islanders, he recorded 10 goals and 39 points. This was after he scored 10 goals and set career highs with 60 assists and 70 points in 79 games with the Islanders in 2023-24.