# Overhauled Islanders leadership group says so much about new direction

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/overhauled-islanders-leadership-group-says-so-much-about-new-direction/
- Published: 2026-11-11T01:26:25+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T02:22:59+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/10/sports/new-islanders-leadership-group-says-so-much-about-direction-shift/
- Topics: World

## Key points

- The Islanders have a reshaped leadership group.
- Horvat is captain, with Schaefer and Schenn wearing letters.
- The team is navigating a four-game losing streak and lineup absences.

## Summary

The New York Islanders’ leadership group has changed as the club reshapes its core, a shift that players say is visible in the dressing room. Bo Horvat is captain, with newcomers Matthew Schaefer and Brayden Schenn wearing letters, reflecting a different mix of voices and experience.

Seventeen games into the season, the Islanders are trying to return to the style that brought early results while managing a four-game losing streak and waiting for Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock to return. Players describe the transition as part of the sport’s “next man up” culture, while praising Horvat’s work ethic, Schenn’s experience as a Stanley Cup winner and Schaefer’s natural leadership.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.