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A week out of training camp, there isn’t much intrigue about the Islanders roster, a veteran team that has changed very little from the 2021-22 season.
But of the 18 skaters the club will send out on most nights this season, at least one spot is up for grabs: left defenseman on the third pair. Sebastian Aho, Robin Salo and Dennis Cholowski — the only outside free agent signing in a summer that drew ire from the fan base — are all in the mix. That figures only two will end up on the NHL roster, and only one can be in the lineup each night.
“You have certain pairings that you feel have chemistry, but at the end of the day, that’s what training camp is for, is to test things and exhibition games and stuff like that to find the right fit,” coach Lane Lambert said Tuesday and acknowledges. it is an open competition. “But ultimately the players will answer the questions for us.”
Although Lambert said the Islanders will experiment with their pairings during training camp, he figures Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock will be at the top of the depth chart, with Alexander Romanov and Noah Dobson close behind. Scott Mayfield, who is back from a season-ending lower-body injury, should be a mainstay on the third pair.
The hope is that someone proves worthy to play alongside him.
Whoever it is, all three are more offensive-minded compared to Mayfield, a staunch defender who had just 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) last season. Salo, who turns 24 in October and made his NHL debut last season, appears to have the highest ceiling.
“I think he’s getting closer and closer and we’ll see,” Lambert said. “He’s a puck-moving guy, he’s got good offensive instincts. He’s a power-play guy. I’m looking forward to seeing where his game is when we open camp.”
That echoed his assessment of Cholowski, a 2016 first-round pick of the Red Wings who flamed out with Seattle and Washington last season: “Really solid offensive player. Moves the puck well. Skates well and he’s got a good offense, good mobility.”
At 26 years old, Aho has the most experience of the group and is the best-known commodity — someone with offensive ability whose defensive letdowns have prevented him from staying in the NHL. If it’s Salo’s job to win, then it’s Aho’s to lose, with Cholowski in the mix as a wild card.
Lambert said he expects the Islanders to come to camp fully healthy, including Cal Clutterbuck and Mayfield, who both missed the final four of last season with injuries.
The Islanders don’t expect to sign anyone to a tryout contract for camp, Lambert said.
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