The Islanders received unexpected news in November when Johnny Boychuk announced he was retiring from the NHL. After playing 13 seasons of NHL hockey, seven of them with the Islanders, he announced his career was over after sustaining an eye injury in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. The announcement left the team and its fans upset, as he was a great locker room guy and a key piece to the team’s revival in the 2010s.

While his career may be over, he can still be useful in some capacity. As a former NHLer, he understands the game both on the ice and in the press box. Also, he left a tremendous impact on the team, and the outpouring of support from the players backs it up. While he may not be able to take the ice again, he can stay around the team in a potential off-ice role. If the Islanders look to keep him around, what kind of role can Johnny Boychuk take on?

Player Development

One potential route the team can take with him is with one of his former teammates. Denis Seidenberg wasn’t an Islander for a very long time, only for two seasons from 2016-2018, but Seidenberg was very well-liked in his time with the team. He, like Boychuk, created very tight-knit relationships among the Islanders family, and he is still on Long Island to this day. After announcing his retirement, the team announced he was staying put as a member of the team’s Player Development staff.

Boychuk is very similar to Seidenberg’s situation at the moment. Although Boychuk was with the Islanders for a longer time, he still has become a highly respected member of the organization, and the current players would like to keep him around. After his retirement, it is possible that the team can offer Boychuk a chance to join Eric Cairns’ Player Development staff to work with the players he left behind and potentially mentor younger players such as Noah Dobson. While Seidenberg doesn’t appear on the team’s directory, Boychuk can likely take on a similar, if not slightly higher, role than Seidenberg today.

Scouting

Another possible way he can stay put is in the scouting department. A few former Islander players have joined the team in looking for their future stars, most notably Stanley Cup champion Ken Morrow. After joining the Islanders as an assistant coach, he joined the Islanders’ scouting staff in 1992 and remained ever since. Former Islanders forward Eric Boulton is also a member of the team’s scouting staff, joining after his retirement in 2017.

Like Morrow and Boulton, Boychuk does have an advantage in this field. He used to take the ice regularly, and his knowledge of the game can help the Islanders when looking to restock the farm system. He can understand a prospect’s strengths and weaknesses and potentially help the team work around those weaknesses to make him better. The Islanders’ staff doesn’t have a true longtime NHL veteran on it, so Boychuk can add an experienced NHLer to the Scouting group, and his experience can be vital for the team moving forward.

Wherever Boychuk potentially winds up, whether it is as a scout, player development member, or somewhere else, he can be vital to the team’s staff. He is a very intelligent player after spending 13 seasons at the NHL level, and his expertise in the game can add some experience to the front office. Also, Boychuk is familiar with most of the other faces in the organization, making his transition from on ice to office branch that much easier. As a result, with Johnny Boychuk’s experience as a member of the Islanders and NHLer, he can be a valuable addition to the team’s off-ice ranks, no matter the position.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.