Kyle MacLean worked his way on to the Islanders roster last year and won the hearts of the fanbase and beyond. Now, we know we will presumably have three more years with him in the organization as Lou Lamoriello signed him this week for $775,000 AAV amidst the excitement of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The 25-yr-old New Jersey native spent his youth with the New Jersey Rockets before signing with the Oshawa Generals in 2015. He spent four seasons in the OHL, landing the captaincy in his third season (an honor once held by former Isles prospect Michael Dal Colle…go figure). He was also one of very few American players to do so. He finished his junior career with 110 points in 227 games, going undrafted before being picked up by the Islanders.
MacLean spent three years in Bridgeport (AHL), being called up for his NHL debut on January 19th, 2024 – Lane Lambert’s final game as head coach. MacLean finished the season with 4 goals and 5 assists in 32 games total. In his 6th game with the team, Kyle netted his first NHL goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs thanks to a nifty backhand on a breakaway. He also scored against the Devils in the second-to-last game, his father’s former club. John MacLean, a 2-time Stanley Cup champion as a player and assistant coach, has been on the Isles’ bench as an assistant coach since 2022. Lou likes to keep it in the family.
MacLean was called up initially to help fill the gap left by an injured Casey Cizikas, and through playing a similar style of a grinding forward with skill, he earned himself future call-ups and solidified a spot with the team to close out the season. His addition to the squad allowed Coach Roy to play with the lines, eventually putting Cizikas on the first line for some time and leading to an 8-0-1 run to enter playoffs. His ability to play wing or center is an added bonus.
#32 was arguably the best player for the Islanders in the playoffs, scoring in the first game and dropping the mitts in the second. He has earned the praise of everyone in the organization, and now has a chance to build on his momentum.
Kyle MacLean provided a lot of special moments for an Islanders season plagued with confusion and chaos. He is precisely the type of player we have been looking for outside of a top-scoring role, and Lou kept him at a cap-friendly salary. This leaves some room for more deals to get done, with players like Mike Reilly, who was a valuable addition to the defense this year. MacLean is young, fast, skilled, and battles like crazy. Cizikas 2.0 is welcome any time on this roster, and I’m excited to see what he can do in his next three years on the Island.
The Morning Skate 