MacLean Forging Ahead, Looking to Pick Up Where He Left Off Last Season

Kyle MacLean is at an interesting intersection at New York Islanders Training Camp. He’s a role model to younger players and those in Bridgeport, a tangible example of how hard work and patience can make the jump from the AHL to the NHL. At the same time, he’s still a younger player on a veteran team and is eager to soak up all he can and improve his game. He’s excited to take what he’s continuously learning and paying it forward.

“The younger guys from Bridgeport, obviously I’m here to help and give advice if they need it,” MacLean said. “But I'm still taking pointers and tips from all the older guys who have been around longer than me. I’ll learn something from one of those [veteran] guys and I'll show it to somebody else. That’s how it goes, it kind of gets passed down.”

After playing parts of four seasons with Bridgeport (2020-24), MacLean graduated to the NHL last season, working his way to Long Island and staying through the second half of the season. MacLean’s Isles tenure almost exclusively overlaps with Head Coach Patrick Roy’s arrival. Off the bat, the skillset of the 6’1,” 194 lbs. center captured the attention of Roy, who highlighted the versatility and character he’s seen in MacLean.

“I love his 200-foot game, I really do,” Roy said. “Since he’s been here, he has the speed we’re looking for, he has that grit. He’s playing really well defensively and he’s capable of bringing some offense to our team, whether it be on the forecheck or going to the net.”

MacLean came into training camp with the momentum of his first 32 NHL games, his first five playoff games – where he scored in his debut - and a three-year extension in the offseason. Feeling good about getting that deal done, the 25-year-old forward has one main goal.

“I just want to build off the experience from last year,” MacLean said.

MacLean suited up for the Islanders’ 4-2 preseason win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. The Livingston, New Jersey native played 15:47 - including 1:24 shorthanded – and notched an assist. Though it’s a preseason game, Roy felt confidence in MacLean’s line when matched up against New Jersey’s skilled veteran forwards.

“That line had a lot of good looks,” Roy said. “[MacLean] and [Maxim] Tysplakov and [Julien] Gauthier, they were really good, when they went up against Nico Hischier’s line, I was really comfortable with that, I trusted them. As a coach, that’s the feeling you want to have.”

Notably, MacLean went 8-for-10 (80%) at the face-off dot on Sunday night, an area that he focused on improving in the offseason through practice and taking tips from his teammates who are skilled in the dot.

“Faceoffs are a big focal point for my game,” MacLean said. “I’m trying to get better at those, I need to work on them. Pager, Casey, Bo, all those guys they have good timing, they’ll pass tips and tricks down to me. Repetition too, getting used to your swipe and having moves in your arsenal that you’re comfortable using whether it’s a righty or a lefty you’re going against.”

On Tuesday night, MacLean brought physicality and speed to a line with Eetu Liukas and Pierre Engvall, recording three hits, two shots and two takeaways in 13:51 TOI in his second preseason matchup.

Training Camp practices and preparation for preseason games are the perfect time to nail down the details, as Roy has been emphasizing for every player. For MacLean, it’s his personal fifth camp with the Islanders, and he said each year built on the next and provided an impactful learning experience each time.

“I think each year you get a little more comfortable," MacLean said. "You know how it goes for the most part, you’re familiar with the guys in the room and that definitely helps with your confidence. Going there knowing what to expect a little bit and knowing what [the coaches] are looking for and what they expect out of your game."

Roy echoed MacLean’s sentiment of building off what he learned last year, while emphasizing that he needs to maintain the same mindset that got him the initial opportunity.

“He’s a smart kid and that experience that he has from last year will help him this year,” Roy said. “He needs to keep pushing, and working the right way, because that’s his ticket.”

“I'm just focused on camp and showing well, doing what I can to make the team,” MacLean said. “In games, I just want to bring energy and be hardworking and responsible. I want to build off that experience last year - I got a taste of it and played towards the end of the season, but this year I need to continue to get better still.”