SIGNED: Matias Maccelli Chooses Free Agency Destination
Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Maccelli is signing with the Islanders. Terms were not included in Friedman’s initial report, so for now, the key takeaway is the landing spot rather than the contract structure.
Maccelli became available after the Toronto Maple Leafs did not tender him a qualifying offer before the deadline. That pushed him onto the unrestricted free agent market, despite the 25-year-old winger coming off a 14-goal, 39-point season in 71 games with Toronto.
Matias Maccelli is signing with the Islanders
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2026
Why Maccelli Fits The Islanders
This is a sensible upside swing for the Islanders. They needed more creativity up front, and Maccelli gives them a younger playmaking winger who has already shown he can produce when put in the right offensive role.
His best season came in 2023-24 with the Arizona Coyotes, when he had 17 goals and 57 points in 82 games. Last year with Toronto was not at that level, but 39 points is still useful production, especially for an Islanders team that finished 25th in goals for last season.
It is not a massive splash, but it is the kind of move that can age well if Maccelli gets real top-nine minutes and some power-play opportunity. For a team that needed more skill and fewer empty shifts, this is a pretty reasonable bet.
