Islanders News: The last preseason game should answer some of our questions

We’re less than a week away from the season, and we might get the closest look at the opening night lineup we’re going to get tonight. The Islanders and the Rangers are playing their annual exhibition in Connecticut to close out the preseason, and at the minimum, Barry Trotz said he wants to see the team’s top six defensemen out there tonight.

We’ll see for sure if the six includes Noah Dobson, but based on the way they’ve been lining up the last week or so, it has to be.

Right now, the Islanders are hosting an event for season ticket holders at Belmont and giving away dirt.

No, really:

Islanders News

• The roster indicates that Thomas Hickey and Josh Ho-Sang will not be in Bridgeport — wondering if they’re getting waived today. Derick Brassard is still ill and won’t be there either. [Islanders]
• Quite a few of the Isles’ current NHL defensemen spent significant time in Bridgeport, so it’s a bit of a homecoming for them. [Newsday]
• 2019 first-rounder Simon Holmstrom has made a surprisingly strong impression on coaches and players at camp this year, and the team may decide to keep him in North America in the AHL rather than go back to Sweden this season. [The Athletic]
• Trotz had the eighth-most positive impact of NHL coaches last season. [The Athletic]
• Devon Toews is one of the many sophomores expected to have a good season. [The Athletic]
• Michael Dal Colle feels as though he “fits in” with this team. [Islanders]
• If there’s one thing you can say with certainty about Tom Kuhnhackl, it’s that he’s consistent. That’s not necessarily a good thing, but you know what you’re getting. [Islanders]
• Sound Tigers president Michael Picker is retiring this month. [CT Post]

Elsewhere

• The Jets and Patrik Laine finally came to an agreement on a two-year bridge deal with an AAV of $6.75 million.
• What are the Jets going to look like in five years? This guy says they’ll be without Laine. [THN]
• Tonight’s game will have a significant impact on the Rangers’ roster, as well. [Newsday]
• An anonymous panel of coaches and GMs ranked all 31 projected starting goalies for this season; Semyon Varlamov came in tied for 17th and also was placed in the third tier. [The Athletic]
• ESPN+ is carrying a lot of hockey this year — every team will be featured at least twice, including the Isles taking on the Cup Champion Blues and their 2019 second round opponents, the Hurricanes — and they’re bringing back In the Crease.
• The Wild are interested in acquiring a top-6 center; I don’t think there are too many out there. [Hockey Wilderness]