The Islanders signed Bear to a one-year contract in the offseason to provide some depth on their blueline, but he will need to wait to make his team debut as he will be sidelined for a few weeks on Injured Reserve. The 28-year-old Bear spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season in the AHL, tallying 46 points (10G / 36A) in 62 games with the Hershey Bears. He has 67 points (17G / 50A) in 275 career NHL games.
Coming off offseason surgery, it's unclear when Varlamov will return to action, but he will start the 2025-26 campaign sidelined on the Injured Reserve. The 37-year-old netminder was limited to only 10 games last season (3-4-3), posting a 2.89 GAA and .889 SV%, due to various injuries.
Engvall continues to recover from offseason hip surgery and is not expected to be ready for opening night, so expect him to start the season on IR. Once healthy, Engvall will likely once again be battling for playing time in the Islanders' bottom-6.
Ritchie was acquired before last season's trade deadline as part of a deal that sent Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche. The 20-year-old Ritchie has not yet made his regular-season debut with the Islanders and will likely have to wait a while longer, as he will likely not be ready for their season opener next week.
Prokhorov was the Islanders' 2025 2nd round pick (42nd overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with New York. The 18-year-old Russian winger improved his draft stock in 2024-25 after a solid 20-goal, 27-point campaign with MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL) across 43 games played. He is expected to remain in Russia with Dynamo Moskva (KHL) on loan for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Schaefer was this year's first overall selection in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Islanders on Monday. The 17-year-old missed the majority of the 2024-25 season due to a serious collarbone injury but still managed to go first overall in the draft due to his five goals and 22 points in 18 games with Erie (OHL). He is expected to be a key part of the Islanders' future for years to come.
Heineman was acquired as part of the Noah Dobson trade and signed a two-year extension with the Islanders. Heineman adds a little bit of offence to New York's bottom-6, but more than anything, brings physicality and penalty killing prowess. Heineman was on pace for 13 goals, 11 assists and 229 hits over 82 games last season.
Holmstrom had a breakout 2024-25 season, scoring 45 points (20G / 25A) in 75 games, earning himself a two-year contract extension with the Islanders worth $3.625 million. The 24-year-old produced at an extremely impressive rate to end the season, with 22 points (10G / 12A) in 30 games from late January to early April.
Vanecek joined the Florida Panthers and the trade deadline last season and served as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky during the run to a Stanley Cup Championship. The 29-year-old Czech goalie has battled consistency over the previous few seasons and will hope to emerge as a reliable option for the Utah Mammoth in 2025-25.
Bear will join his fourth organization in five seasons after signing a one-year deal worth $775,000 with the Islanders on Tuesday. The 28-year-old defenceman last appeared in the NHL in 2023-24 after spending last season in Hershey (AHL) where he had 10 goals and 46 points in 62 games played. He is expected to compete for one of the Islanders' final roster spots in training camp.
