Early look · NHL 2026-27

Vancouver Canucks at New York Islanders: game preview

VancouverCanucks2026-27: 2-2-0 · 4 pts · 2025-26: 25-49-8 · 58 pts · 32ndat

NY IslandersIslanders2026-27: 1-2-0 · 2 pts · 2025-26: 43-34-5 · 91 pts · 19th

Puck drop13 Oct · 7:45 PM ET

VenueUBS Arena

All-time meetings131 completed

BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26

The thesis

Thirty-three points apart last season

Vancouver finished last season 32nd in the league on 58 points. NY Islanders finished 19th on 91.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 132

Across 131 completed games, NY Islanders lead the head-to-head 70-48-13.

All-time record70-48-13NY Islanders's record in the series

Meetings played131This is number 132

2025-26 series—

Last 53-2Vancouver

Last 5 meetings

See all: Last 5 meetings →

DateResultShotsPower playWinner

19 Jan 2026NYI 4 – VAN 333–32NYI 1/3 · VAN 0/2NYI

19 Dec 2025VAN 4 – NYI 131–24VAN 1/3 · NYI 0/4VAN

26 Mar 2025VAN 5 – NYI 225–28VAN 0/1 · NYI 0/2VAN

14 Nov 2024NYI 5 – VAN 232–26NYI 1/5 · VAN 0/1NYI

9 Jan 2024VAN 5 – NYI 234–20VAN 0/4 · NYI 1/2VAN

Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateVancouverNY Islanders

19 Dec 202514-17-3 · 31 pts30th19-13-3 · 41 pts10th

19 Jan 202616-28-5 · 37 pts32nd27-17-5 · 59 pts9th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 19 Dec 2025, Vancouver were 30th in the league and NY Islanders 10th. By 19 Jan 2026 it was 32nd and 9th.

Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Vancouver out-attempted NY Islanders 303 to 269

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Vancouver Canucks

303 att · 148 on goal · 19 G · 12.8%

Crease24 att · 2 G

Slot113 att · 8 G

Wing109 att · 7 G

Point46 att · 0 G

Neutral zone11 att · 2 G

New York Islanders

269 att · 137 on goal · 14 G · 10.2%

Crease25 att · 3 G

Slot96 att · 7 G

Wing96 att · 2 G

Point45 att · 1 G

Neutral zone7 att · 1 G

GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

NY Islanders have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

VancouverNY Islanders

2.44xG for per game2.90

3.15xG against per game3.70

43.6%xG share44.0%

+9.2FinishingGoals minus expected goals+0.3

−5.4GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+4.1

This season: 4 games for Vancouver, 3 for NY Islanders. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →

Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Vancouver

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2723.1%

Power play · 2025-2621.8% · 14th

Power play · last 5 meetings1/11 · 9.1%

Penalty kill · 2026-2768.8%

Penalty kill · 2025-2671.5% · 32nd

Faceoffs · 2026-2749.3% · 112/227

Drawn · 2026-2713 (3.25/gm)

Drawn · last meetings11 (2.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2716 (4.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings1

NY Islanders

Small sample

Power play · 2026-2718.2%

Power play · 2025-2616.5% · 30th

Power play · last 5 meetings3/16 · 18.8%

Penalty kill · 2026-2783.3%

Penalty kill · 2025-2680.8% · 10th

Faceoffs · 2026-2749.1% · 81/165

Drawn · 2026-2711 (3.67/gm)

Drawn · last meetings16 (3.20/gm)

Shorthanded · 2026-2712 (4.00/gm)

PP goals · last meetings3

Skaters

Filip Hronek has 7 points in the last 5 meetings

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away, then who has produced in the last meetings.

In the last meetings

See all: In the last meetings →

PlayerGPGAPSOG

17Filip Hronek51678

44Kiefer Sherwood35167

72Anders Lee522414

13Mathew Barzal30446

77Tony DeAngelo32138

73Teddy Blueger31235

18Drew O'Connor31234

44Jean-Gabriel Pageau51232

83Conor Garland503310

11Anthony Duclair32028

Head-to-head finder

Filip Hronek vs NY Islanders · game by game

See all: Filip Hronek vs NY Islanders · game by game →

DateVenueGAPSOGTOI

19 Jan 2026home011128:01

19 Dec 2025away022124:11

26 Mar 2025away011025:42

14 Nov 2024home011227:00

9 Jan 2024away112422:33

Last 5 meetings7 P1 G, 6 A · 8 SOG

Next best6 PKiefer Sherwood, VAN

2026-27 season5 P4 GP · 0 G

Blank vs NYI0 of 5A point in every meeting

Full game log

Goaltending

Ilya Sorokin has started most of these meetings

Ilya Sorokin played 4 of the last 5 meetings with Vancouver, with a .877 save percentage. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Vancouver

Expected starter after their game on 11 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

NY Islanders

Expected starter after their game on 10 Oct: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Vancouver crease

VAN · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

Kevin Lankinen.8243 GP · 1-2-0 · GSAx −6.4

Leevi Meriläinen.9432 GP · 1-0-0 · GSAx +1.0

Two goalies used against NY Islanders

#vs NYIAppsSAGASV%

32Kevin Lankinen2648.875

35Thatcher Demko2523.942

Ilya Sorokin

See all: Ilya Sorokin →

NYI · 1-1-0 in 2026-27 Starter estimate from 10 Oct

SV% · 2026-27.9682 GP · 1.02 GAA · 2025-26 .906

vs Vancouver.8774 app · 114 SA · 14 GA

GSAx · 2026-27+4.12 starts · most on the roster

vs VANVenueSAGASV%

19 Jan 2026away323.906

19 Dec 2025home303.900

26 Mar 2025home194.789

9 Jan 2024home334.879

Also on the roster, 2026-27: Semyon Varlamov .864 (1 GP)

Full game log

Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.4 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

19 Jan 20267 · NYI 4–3 VAN

19 Dec 20255 · VAN 4–1 NYI

26 Mar 20257 · VAN 5–2 NYI

14 Nov 20247 · NYI 5–2 VAN

9 Jan 20247 · VAN 5–2 NYI

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA

Vancouver4.754.502.633.85

NY Islanders3.002.332.842.94

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.4Goals in this game

Last 5 meetings6.6Goals per game

Line—No total posted yet

Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

7 on the injury lists

Vancouver · injuries

Akil ThomasUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Filip ChytilShoulderIRReturn8 Oct

Jack ThompsonUndisclosedIRReturn11 Oct

Mackenzie MacEachernUndisclosedIRReturn10 Oct

Thatcher DemkoHipIRReturn21 Dec

NY Islanders · injuries

Alexander RomanovUndisclosedDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct

Mathew BarzalKneeIRReturn10 Oct

Latest moves

See all: Latest moves →

27 Sep · VAN

Placed G Nikita Tolopilo on waivers.

25 Sep · VAN

Claimed G Leevi Merilainen off waivers from Ottawa. Placed F Filip Chytil on injured reserve. Assigned F Braeden Cootes to Abbotsford (AHL).

24 Sep · VAN

Assigned Fs Ty Mueller, Riley Patterson, Ilya Safonov and Chase Wouters, Ds Kirill Kudryavtsev and Sawyer Mynio to Abbotsford (AHL). Loaned F Ben Berard and D Isaac Belliveau to Abbotsford. Waived for the purpose of assignment to Abbotsford F Trey Fix-Wolansky and Ds Cole Clayton and Jimmy Schuldt.

27 Sep · NYI

Agreed to terms with LD Logan Stanley on a 1-Year contract worth $1.5M. Placed G Vitek Vanecek on waivers with the intention of sending to Hamilton (AHL)

26 Sep · NYI

Waived Fs Tanner Fritz, Matt Luff and Nathan Chaffee. Waived Fs Dylan Foudy and Hudson Kuefler for the purpose of sending to Hamilton (AHL).

24 Jul 2026 · NYI

Signed F Alex Jefferies to a one-year contract.

Injury report

Vancouver · 2026 draft

See all: Vancouver · 2026 draft →

#3Caleb MalhotraRound 1 · BrantfordC

#24Adam NovotnyRound 1 · PeterboroughLW

#33Brooks RogowskiRound 2 · OshawaC

#41Niklas Aaram-OlsenRound 2 · Orebro Jr.LW

Full draft

NY Islanders · 2026 draft

See all: NY Islanders · 2026 draft →

#13Malte GustafssonRound 1 · Hv71D

#109Lincoln KuehneRound 4 · Arizona StateD

#141Vladimir DraveckyRound 5 · BrantfordD

#173Artyom MatyukRound 6 · Nizhny Novgorod Jr.C

Full draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate

See all: Tuesday 13 October · the full slate →

NYIThis game 8:00 PM ET

Updated after every final

Vancouver Canucks at New York Islanders: game preview

Thirty-three points apart last season

Meeting number 132

Last 5 meetings

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

Vancouver out-attempted NY Islanders 303 to 269

Vancouver Canucks

New York Islanders

NY Islanders have created the better chances, last 10 games

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

Vancouver

NY Islanders

Filip Hronek has 7 points in the last 5 meetings

Forwards to watch

Defencemen to watch

In the last meetings

Filip Hronek vs NY Islanders · game by game

Ilya Sorokin has started most of these meetings

Vancouver crease

Ilya Sorokin

Scoring rates point to about 6.4 goals

Goals in the last 5 meetings

Scoring rates

7 on the injury lists

Vancouver · injuries

NY Islanders · injuries

Latest moves

Vancouver · 2026 draft

NY Islanders · 2026 draft

Tuesday 13 October · the full slate