3 things to know about the Islanders' signings on the first day of NHL free agency
Matias MacCelli of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Islanders at UBS Arena on April 9, 2026. Credit: Getty Images/Bruce Bennett
D Matt Kessel
A full season: Last season marked the 6-3, 212-pound Kessel’s first full one in the NHL after splitting the previous three between the Blues and their AHL affiliate in Springfield. He had two goals and one assist in 29 games.
A shot blocker: The right-shooting Kessel is known for his defensive-minded play and he blocked 26 shots in 29 games
Set free: Kessel signed a one-year, $850,000 one-way deal with the Islanders after the Blues made him an unrestricted free agent by not tendering him an $850,000 qualifying offer.
F Matias Maccelli
Playmaker: The 5-11, 187-pound Finnish left wing is known for his playmaking ability and on-ice smarts and was voted Liiga’s rookie of the year in 2021.
Tough season: Maccelli set career highs with 17 goals and 40 assists for the Arizona Coyotes in 2023-24 but he struggled in his lone season with the Maple Leafs as a healthy scratch in eight of their first 30 games before finishing with 14 goals and 25 assists in 71 games.
Too pricey: The Maple Leafs declined to extend Maccelli a $4.11 million qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. His skills and price tag did not align with his bottom-six role in Toronto.
G Vitek Vanecek
Flexibility: Vanecek agreed to the same one-year, $1 million deal as last season’s backup, David Rittich. But Vanecek comes to the Islanders knowing he will spend time with their AHL affiliate in Hamilton, Ontario if Semyon Varlamov is healthy, which he wasn’t last season.
Career season: Vanecek went an impressive 33-11-4 with a 2.45 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage for the Devils in 2022-23 with expected No. 1 Mackenzie Blackwood dealing with injury issues.
Cup winner: Vanecek was Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup as the Panthers won the Stanley Cup in 2025, though he did not appear in the postseason.
F Mitchell Chaffee
Gritty player: The 6-1, 197-pound Chaffee primarily has played in a bottom-six role and was third on the Lightning in 2024-25 with 133 hits in 66 games.
Bouncing back: Chaffee set career highs with his 66 games, 12 goals and six assists in 2024-25 after recovering from a torn ACL.
The hard route: Chaffee was an undrafted free agent out of Grand Rapids, Michigan but had several teams seeking to sign him after his three seasons at Massachusetts-Amherst, eventually agreeing on a deal with the Wild.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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