Please enjoy this sample of our latest Monthly Mail Bag podcast, available exclusively at our Patreon.

In our last edition, we had a bunch of questions about Matthew Schaefer. Should the new star defenseman start in the NHL, go the college route or head back to junior? More importantly, which ex- or current Islander should he live with during his rookie season? And will he or one of his fellow prospects break our hearts?

If you like what you hear and want to hear the full Mail Bag episode, subscribe to our Patreon.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap another busy week for the Islanders, with free agent signings, a prospect camp and other energizing events to keep us buzzing through the summer.

The Islanders started free agency by giving big money to Alexander Romanov and retaining Tony DeAngelo, two somewhat surprising moves that had fans shaking their heads. But as the signing window opened, some tidy pieces of business emerged: team-friendly deals for Simon Holmstrom and new guy Emil Heineman, an actual NHL backup goalie in David Rittich and a potential homerun in forward Jonathan Drouin. Finally, they snagged sought-after Russian import Maxim Shabanov, who saw the Islanders as the best fit for him. Suddenly, a pattern was formed of risk-free short-term deals that should help next year's roster.

Meanwhile, the future continues to look bright after their first prospect camp in seven years let a new batch of Uncles grab some of the spotlight. Matthew Schaefer, Cole Eiserman, Isaiah George and others got to flash some skills and personality in front of clamoring fans, and saw the passion they can look forward to as full time Islanders. It was a surprisingly inspiring time and let us head into the offseason feeling good.

Finally, we take a tour around the NHL at some of the notable free agents who signed elsewhere and say good bye to the awful TSN Free Agent Frenzy Show (and, unfortunately, the wonderful Bob McKenzie).

Thank you all very much for listening this season. This is the season finale but Country Club tier members at the Patreon will get content all summer long including a special standalone Master Leaf Theatre releasing next Wednesday.

⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.

⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.

Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.

Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠).

Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap a busy weekend of trades, a draft, signings and some clarity in the Islanders direction.

There's so much to discuss that it's easy to forget that the Islanders drafted Matthew Schaefer - the No. 1 rated prospect in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, a singular defenseman and an exemplary human - first overall. Schaefer's introduction to Long Island has already been an event, and he hasn't even played a game for them yet. Had they simply walked out of Friday's draft with just him, it would have been considered a win.

But before the draft, GM Mathieu Darche made a huge decision, trading defenseman Noah Dobson to Montreal for a pair of first round picks and depth forward Emil Heineman. The move shocked even those who expected it and wasn't met with universal praise from Islanders fans, who saw the team's best blueliner leave for futures and sign with the Canadiens for eight years. As we've learned more, it seems as if the player had a lot of leverage and Darche did the best he could.

The trade also set fans up for what they thought was a second shocking move. And while drafting James Hagens didn't materialize, Darche did use the Habs' picks to get two highly-touted prospects in winger Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson, as well as even more rated prospects in Day 2. They've been getting great marks from the Prospect Perverts and Draft Grifters, which is better than getting raked over the coals. More than anything, it means that development has become a focus again after too many years of stitching the ship back together and hoping it still floats.

In the last segment, we discuss two Bridgeport signings (one very surprising), the team's Restricted Free Agents outlook and take a stab at some Unrestricted Free Agents they might take a run at.

There's a lot to digest before Tuesday at noon when free agency begins.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.Visit our friends

⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.

⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.

Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.

Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠).

Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our friend and favorite ex-Nassau Coliseum usher Matt Kammerer joins us from his hot tub to crown the second ever Weirdest Islander of the Year.

This season's chase came down to two men, although our winner was more than deserving of the honor. The circumstances that brought him to the Islanders were unique and presented an opportunity that he took and ran with. Based on his career and reputation, none of us ever saw him ever playing for the team. But once he did arrive, he gave them something we hadn't seen in this manic season: a totally normal performance from a defenseman. He might not be here much longer, but together we learned that hockey normalcy can sometimes come from the most unlikely of sources.

Our runner-up also personified the season-long question of, "Where is everybody?" His single performance was brief as it could possibly be, but it was a flashpoint at the time and might still be having some lingering effects as we head into the offseason and the next campaign. Let's hope it's not the only NHL action he sees in his career.

The winner of the Weirdest Islander of the Year is awarded the Don Cutts Trophy for his efforts. And the concept of Weirdest Islander of the Year comes from Patron Will Forthman. The opening clip was from Weird Islanders: The Podcast - Episode 50 - The Weirdest Islander of the Year 2024.

Thanks again to Matty for coming on, for his humor and his hot tub. Follow him on Twitter at @ExIsledUsher). If you see a man in a Roosevelt Raceway hat tearing up the Flanders Duck one of these days, you'll know who it is.

And thank you all for your votes and for listening to Season 4 of Weird Islanders: The Podcast! We got to make some new friends and caught up with some old ones for a great slate of short timers. We'll be back next season for more (and, hopefully, more ex-Islanders as well).

WEIRDEST ISLANDER OF THE YEAR:

2024 - Robert Bortuzzo

2025 - ???

Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more.

Visit our friends:

Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code ANXIETY20 to save 20% off an order of two items.

The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.

Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.

Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).

Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.

Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by Hockey Night in New York's Sean Cuthbert, Mike and Dan "examine" the Islanders' new hires and a potpourri of different subjects.

It's been quiet around the Islanders lately while still-new GM Mathieu Darche conducts his business. But the team has announced some fresh blood in the form of new assistant coaches Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner and most recently, new assistant GM/Director of Player Personnel Ryan Bowness. We have no idea what these guys will do with the Islanders but their hirings give us a chance to laugh about bad penalty kills, penalty minute trivia and the Ghosts of Assistant Coaches Past (shout out to the great Jacques LaPerriere).

In the second half, we look at the draft one more time as the Islanders' moment in the spotlight nears (but not fast enough). Can they get both Matthew Schaeffer and James Hagens? Is this all a conspiracy against the Islanders? How can this all go wrong? We also talk about changes the team can make beyond the roster to give them a higher profile than they were allowed under the previous regime. We want more organ music and less Empire State Building, unless Sparky is climbing it like King Kong.

Thanks again to Sean for coming on. Follow him wherever and keep an eye out for Hockey Night in New York on Twitch, YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.

⁠⁠⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.

Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠⁠⁠).

Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with Will Stevens of Isles Meet Ups NYC we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Islanders' sojourn to Brooklyn's Barclays Center and some of the players we connect to that era.

In October of 2012, the Islanders announced that they would start play in Barclays Center for the 2015-16 season, ending 40+ years of glory and struggle at Nassau Coliseum. Even the most hardened haters were encouraged by the news... for about five minutes. Before they moved into the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues, there were already problems; building was critiqued and criticized, the people in charge didn't have a clue, and the fans weren't happy while the players tried to make the best of it. It wasn't long before an exit strategy - which turned into UBS Arena, back on Long Island - was needed.

Still, we have a lot of nostalgia for this very strange period in franchise history, especially for some players who made their only appearances with the Islanders during it.

Whether they were disappointing trade deadline acquisitions, "veteran" presences, minor league call ups or constant healthy scratches, these players best represent the bastardized, black-clad, hipster bearded, Brooklyn version of the Islanders that, in spite of everything working against it, actually had some success.

Thanks again to Will for not only chatting but coming to us with the idea for this super duper-sized walk down Memory Lane. You can follow the Isles Meet Up groups on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to find the one closest to you.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠⁠.

Drum sfx via ⁠⁠⁠Zapsplat.com⁠⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

[Please enjoy this bonus episode of our Patreon-exclusive Country Club Atmosphere podcast. If you like what you hear and want more, sign up for the Country Club tier at Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety to access the full archive of Country Club Atmosphere episodes.]

Mike and Dan talk about fan conventions, one Mike created and one where Dan finished a quest that took over 30 years to complete.

Years ago, Mike was one of the driving forces behind FrancesaCon, a day-long celebration of New York sports radio icon Mike Francesa. What started as a loose bar crawl turned into three jam-packed dates over three years at another NYC institution, Irving Plaza, and even earned participation by Da Pope himself. Luminaries like Chris "Mad Dog" Russo, boxing champ Amir Khan and football Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood all attended and FrancesaCon hit the big time, even getting covered by ESPN and other outlets. Mike tells the full story about how the con came about, the relationships he made along the way that are still going and some of the funny behind-the-scenes stories from those wild times.

Dan's con story is much different. At a local comic con in April, he found the missing piece to a collection that he had been growing since he was eight years old. As the feeling of relief and happiness washed over him, so did a little confusion as to what to do next. After decades of comic cons all over the area, this small New Jersey one stands as the most important in his life.

And, of course, as is tradition on this non-hockey podcast, the Islanders do come up a few times.

No matter what world a convention is in, the best part is gathering with people who "get you," and feeling free to be in a world you truly feel comfortable in.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

⁠⁠⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.

⁠⁠⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.

Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠⁠⁠).

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap Mathieu Darche's introductory press conference and his first decisions as Islanders GM.

The most amazing thing about Darche's first press conference as Islanders GM was just how normal it was. From streaming it on the team's website to the little jokes about learning everyone's names, the hour-long presser was as by-the-book as it gets, which is why the new guy came off pretty well. Announcing there would be new assistant coaches and a new staff for the bedraggled AHL team was icing on the pound cake. We got clarity on the head coach - again, not a surprise - but one name wasn't heard, which was all the opening some folks needed to start wondering about whether or not the team was in the right hands.

Darche then signed two players to contracts that were most likely already in his desk drawer by the time he sat behind it for the first time. Kyle Palmieri's new deal is a bit of a hometown discount and a devil-you-know-versus-the-devil-you-don't scenario. At a modest number and just two years, it gives him the stability he wants while also letting the Islanders move him next year should things go sideways. If he scores in his usual neighborhood of goals, it could turn out great. Adam Boqvist also returns on a cheap one year deal with an RFA expiry. What position he plays next season is anyone's guess.

All of this is very sensible, especially for a new GM with a lot on his plate. The only question is: why was Mitt Romney sitting next to him at that press conference?

We also take a few minutes to talk about the Stanley Cup final rematch, featuring our allies the Florida Panthers versus the Edmonton Oilers, who just might be pissed off enough from last year to sneak past the Cats this time.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

⁠⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.

⁠⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.

Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠⁠).

Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠⁠, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by friend and Skates at the Stakes co-host Ryan, we discuss defenseman James Wisniewski, who is more remembered for one regrettable incident than his quality play.

Wisniewski was already well-traveled before he was acquired by the Islanders to augment their blueline offense. But when Mark Streit went down with an injury in the preseason, Wisniewski became a key contributor and point producer... until one game against the Rangers and a decision that got him suspended. Over the course of another month and a half, he endured a long losing streak, a coach firing and getting accosted by a Long Island nurse just before Christmas. Then he was traded to Montreal before the end of the calendar year, leaving just as quickly as he arrived.

There was a reason he played for so many teams - James Wisniewski was pretty good! He found ways to produce no matter where he played. Unfortunately, he also found new ways to get suspended, which probably explains why he was moved so often.

For Ryan, this season was his first as an Islanders fan and that fateful date with the Rangers was his first ever live game experience. We talk about Wisniewski's crazy career, his early hockey blogging, how his game should be soundtracked by Linkin Park and other on-the-fly fun facts.

We also throw in a bonus Weird Islander! Johan Sundstrom was drafted with the pick the Islanders got from the Canadiens for Wisniewski and was expected to be the next Frans Nielsen but ended up having a short North American career with a few odd footnotes.

Thanks again to Ryan for coming on. Be sure to subscribe to Skates at the Stakes. And yes, we held this back so it would be Episode 69.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ and at ⁠⁠Bandcamp⁠⁠.

Drum sfx via ⁠⁠Zapsplat.com⁠⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan react to the hiring of Mathieu Darche as the Islanders' new general manager and the blank slate the future holds.

As Islanders fans across the U.S. prepared for Memorial Day weekend, the Islanders dropped the news that their GM search was over. Mathieu Darche seemed like an unlikely choice given his lack of experience running an NHL club, but he won the owners over and beat out former GMs like Marc Bergevin and Jarmo Kekäläinen. The search that got them to Darche wasn't smooth (and involved a few more big names and swings that went nowhere). But Darche represents a truly new era for the club and only time will tell if it was the right move. For now, all we can do is observe and see where he takes them.

In the second half, we enjoy another new installment of Master Leaf Theatre, as former team president Brendan Shanahan is told he will be leaving the Ford Performance Center, forcing many Leafs writers/fans to reckon with the failed "Shanaplan" (that they named). We also add a new character to the Master Leaf Theatre canon in MLSE CEO Keith Pelley, who loves to make up stories about his kids and blow smoke up people's behinds. We might have one more in us this offseason, depending on how things shake out up north. But if not, at least we got our thoughts out.

Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

Visit our friends:

Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠, including their new album "God Looks Out for Fools."

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices