Tonight, as the Matt Martin Foundation hosts its annual Charity Poker Tournament, Will Chiarucci on X posted a photo of players' jerseys spread across different tables, and it appears Drouin will wear No. 29 with the Islanders, the number most recently worn by Brock Nelson. Being that Nelson only departed the Islanders in March, traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Cal Ritchie and a first-round pick in 2026, it'll take some getting used to for the Islanders' faithful to see another player wearing No. 29.
We're a quarter of the way through the 2000s, and the game of hockey has evolved so much since the turn of the millennium. While it's been 42 years since the NY Islanders last hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup, the organization has put together a few teams that have made a run in recent times. Though the Islanders teams of the 1980s may never be replicated, the franchise has produced some of its most talented players in its 52-year history.
After being unable to agree on an extension, Mathieu Darche elected to trade Dobson while still an RFA, receiving two first-round picks and Emil Heineman in return.