Last chance for Islanders' players to earn a roster spot

The Islanders’ fourth preseason game and first at UBS Arena on Friday night, a 5-1 win over the Devils, marked a delineation point.

“Tonight will be the last game where we’re going to evaluate guys,” coach Patrick Roy said before the game. “I’d like to have, the last two games, our full lineup.”

So the first cuts to the 57-man training camp roster are expected Saturday. Roy said he will meet with president/ general manager Lou Lamoriello to “see where we are.”

The Islanders will conclude their preseason by hosting the Flyers on Monday and the Rangers next Friday. They will open the regular season against Utah at UBS Arena six days later.

Liam Foudy, Oliver Wahlstrom and Frederik Karlstrom, who all scored, plus William Dufour, Maxim Tsyplakov and Julien Gauthier were forwards in the lineup trying to earn an NHL spot. Defensemen Samuel Bolduc, Travis Mitchell, Dennis Cholowski (two assists) and Grant Hutton also were fighting for a job.

“They played well tonight,” Roy said. “If they want to make an impression, that was the way to do it. That was a good statement by them. These are tough decisions.”

“I thought all of us played well tonight,” said the speedy Foudy, selected 18th overall in 2018 by the Blue Jackets. He has seven goals and 15 assists in 102 NHL games and also played in Thursday night’s 2-0 preseason loss in Philadelphia.

“It’s been a long camp so far, so the back-to-back at the end is not the easiest thing,’’ Foudy said. “But I’m never going to complain when you get a chance to showcase yourself.”

The Islanders will be off on Saturday after being on ice nine straight days since training camp opened on Sept. 19.

Also in the mix is Matt Martin, the longtime fourth-liner attending camp on a professional tryout offer after not attracting a contract in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. He skated with longtime linemate Casey Cizikas and Wahlstrom against the Devils.

Does Martin fall into the group of those being evaluated? Could Friday’s 12:55 of ice time mark his last game in an Islanders jersey? Or does his history with the Islanders mean he’ll get a longer look?

“That’s probably a question Lou will have to answer,” Roy said. “I think Lou and him had a good talk and I think it was clear what he was coming here for and it will be up to Lou to decide if he’s going to start the season with us or not.”

Notes & quotes: Tsyplakov (lower body) exited at 7:42 of the third period for precautionary reasons. Roy hinted after the game that he might try Tsyplakov among the top six forwards in the final preseason games . . . Right wing Hudson Fasching (lower body), who did not dress, is day-to-day . . . The Islanders went 2-for-5 on the power play on goals by Karlstrom and Bo Horvat. Kyle MacLean, on a breakaway, had the Islanders’ other goal . . . Semyon Varlamov stopped 16 of 17 shots in two periods before Jakub Skarek turned aside all eight shots he faced in relief.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.