Last October, Kyle MacLean was an afterthought to most fans of the New York Islanders. A year later, he is one of the more important players on the team entering the 2024-25 regular season.

The 25-year-old forward signed a three-year contract in June, and he will be counted on to play an increased role for head coach Patrick Roy this season.

MacLean is physical, fast and smart. He has showcased a sneaky good shot when given the opportunity to use it. He has struggled in the faceoff dot, but spent all offseason working on improving that area of his game.

Kyle MacLean with the block, the break, and a trip to the toy department 🚨@NYIslanders | @brendanmburke | @91Butch pic.twitter.com/EcHi5vdVxa

— Isles on MSGSN (@IslesMSGN) September 27, 2024

Entering his first full season on Long Island, MacLean will likely slot in on the fourth line with Casey Cizikas and a third forward (Pierre Engvall, Hudson Fasching, Liam Foudy, Julien Gauthier, Simon Holmstrom, Matt Martin and Oliver Wahlstrom are all possible candidates). With Cal Clutterbuck no longer on the Islanders, MacLean will take his spot on the penalty kill and in crucial defensive situations.

MacLean played in 32 regular season games in 2023-24, tallying five goals, four assists and nine points. While he averaged just over 10 minutes of ice time per game, those 10 minutes were usually important and challenging.

Late in games, when Roy wanted a second center on the ice for key faceoffs, MacLean would oftentimes hop off the bench, signaling the rookie had earned the trust of his head coach.

In the playoffs, MacLean immediately made his mark. Skating on the third line with Anders Lee and Pierre Engval, MacLean looked calm and comfortable in Game 1 against the Hurricanes in Raleigh. He scored a big goal to tie the game in the first period, and was not just one of the best players on the ice in that game, but he a bright spot up front during the entire series.

This concluded a meteoric rise for MacLean in the organization.

An undrafted free agent signing by Bridgeport out of the Ontario Hockey League in 2020, MacLean joined the organization hoping to prove he was more than just a last name.

The son of current power-play coach John MacLean, the young center worked his way up the organizational depth chart, and signed his first NHL contract last offseason.

When Casey Cizikas and Pierre Engvall were injured and the Islanders needed another forward in January, MacLean got the call.

All the Islanders needed was a steady player who did not make mistakes. MacLean surpassed his humble expectations with ease, quickly emerging as a key piece for a team that eventually surged into the playoffs.

The rest is history, and now MacLean will look to build upon his breakout campaign and turn it into a long, prosperous NHL career.

Featured image courtesy of AP Photo/Matt Marton

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