Islanders' Scott Mayfield effective as stay-at-home defenseman
Scott Mayfield #24 and Semyon Varlamov #40 of the Islanders celebrate after defeating the Boston Bruins at Nassau Coliseum on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. Credit: Jim McIsaac
NEWARK, N.J.— Scott Mayfield doesn’t need the post-game scoresheet to validate whether he’s helping the Islanders.
The defenseman is more than satisfied with his stay-at-home, defensive role. Which is exactly what coach Barry Trotz wants out of him.
The Islanders opened a season-high, five-game road trip against the Devils on Sunday night at Prudential Center and Mayfield and new partner Nick Leddy have quickly developed good chemistry as the team won three of its first four.
"You have your job," said Mayfield, breaking into a grin when asked when he gets more excited delivering a hard body check or blocking a shot than notching a point. "I’m not one that’s looking at the scoresheet for points. I think that’s safe to say. It’s more about what I do, maybe not on the scoresheet. That’s my biggest thing, whatever I can do to help the team win, help the team play well. That’s more what I care about."
Mayfield did not have a point in the first four games but was third among the six defensemen averaging 19:57 of ice time. He has blocked seven shots. Mayfield is also one of Trotz’s most trusted penalty killers, a unit that started the season killing off 14 of 15 power plays.
The 6-5, 220-pounder was a second-round pick in 2011 and made his NHL debut in 2014. But it wasn’t until Trotz took over as the Islanders’ bench boss in 2018 that Mayfield earned a full-time role.
"I think, No. 1, was forging an identity for Scotty," Trotz said when asked how he tried to mold Mayfield’s game when he came to the Islanders. "The biggest thing I remember was Scott, other than the size and the range, I was surprised a little bit at some of his skills and his skills to get pucks through from the point. I think he tried to be more of an offensive defenseman. He was joining the rush.
"But, the biggest thing was puck management," Trotz added. "A lot of unforced turnovers early. I think what we’ve done is reined him into making better decisions. Still joining the attack when it is available but not forcing the attack."
Mayfield said Trotz helped him settle into a suitably comfortable role.
"I think the biggest thing with pro hockey is, you kind of learn you have a job," Mayfield said. "I think your job can change over time. I think that’s kind of what happened with me a little bit. I kind of fell into that more, stay-at-home defenseman role, which you don’t see as much in the league. As far as offensively jumping in, you’ve got to pick your spots. The biggest thing I’ve worked on over the couple of years has been just getting the shots through a little more."
Mayfield’s seven shots on goal through the first four games also ranked third among Islanders defensemen.
One transition for Mayfield this season was being paired with Leddy after former partner Devon Toews was traded to the Avalanche in the offseason because of salary-cap concerns. But both Mayfield and Leddy are getting facsimile replacements for their former partners.
Leddy, like Toews, is an excellent skater who can rush the puck up ice to join the attack, with Mayfield providing stay-at-home support in those instances.
For Leddy, the defensive-minded Mayfield is a good substitute for former partner Johnny Boychuk, who was unable to continue his career because of an eye injury and is currently on long-term injured reserve.
Boychuk, like Mayfield, predicated his game on strong defensive work, being physical and sacrificing his body to block shots.
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.
