Islanders’ Alexander Romanov on Injury Recovery, Peter DeBoer, and Loyalty to New York

Alexander Romanov faces a busy offseason after a shoulder injury limited him to just 15 games last season, leaving the Islanders defenseman focused on regaining full game shape ahead of 2026-27. In this translated interview, originally appearing on Russian website Championat.ru, Romanov talks about his recovery, Patrick Roy and Peter DeBoer, Matthew Schaefer’s rise, and his commitment to New York.

** You can read the original interview in Romanov’s native Russian by Dmitry Storozhev on championat.ru by clicking here **

New Contract

Recently, Romanov attended Bogdan Kiselevich’s farewell game in Cherepovets, Russia. He has praised the defenseman, who spent one year in the NHL in 2018-19 with the Florida Panthers and the Winnipeg Jets. “Bogdan is a very smart, highly intelligent hockey player,” the defenseman says. “He was never known for physical strength or technique, but he was always in the right place at the right time. And a great person.”

Romanov had a rocky 2025-26, after a nasty shoulder injury limited him to 15 games. “I’m feeling great now,” the Russian reassures Islanders fans. “Nothing hurts, I’m training at full capacity.”

Romanov fell injured after a collision with Dallas Stars forward Mikko Rantanen. However, the two found common ground after the incident. “He wrote to me,” Romanov confirms. “He said it wasn’t intentional.”

It wasn’t a great start to the season after he signed a massive, eight-year extension with the Islanders. “It was a shame that it all started like this. But you have to learn from everything and move on. The NHL market has seen a sharp rise in salaries lately. But he doesn’t think that his renewal was a mistake. “You really shouldn’t look at other people’s numbers,” Romanov says. “You can use them as a reference, but I don’t like freaking out over that. Everyone earns their own bread. I’m happy with what I have.”

Roy and DeBoer at the Helm

Patrick Roy’s being replaced by Peter DeBoer as Islanders head coach was a difficult moment for the team. “It really was surprising,” Romanov admits. “It happened around Easter, and usually things are calmer at that time. I haven’t worked with DeBoer yet. We’ll see how it goes. I’m already eager to get back there, I’m flying to America soon. It would be great to reintegrate into the group.”

The blueliner was satisfied with Roy and his tenure with the Isles. “I really liked it. I’ve never had any questions about Patrick at all. He respected me, and I respected him even more. The main thing is commitment.”

In a previous interview in the Russian media a few months ago, Romanov spoke highly of Matthew Schaefer and his potential. He hasn’t changed idea at all after his impressive 23-goal, 59-point rookie campaign. “I think he is not only living up to his potential so far, but maybe he’s even beyond it as now. Scoring that many goals at 18 is very hard, almost impossible.”

Despite Schaefer’s young age, Romanov is sure he can learn something from the rookie. “You can learn from everyone, him included. He skates extremely well, he sees the ice. He has a feel for where to open up, where to make the pass. It’s just unreal. Not everyone can sense the game like he does. His skating is truly masterful.”

There’s a belief that the Islanders were carried last season by two players — Schaefer… “And [goalie Ilya] Sorokin,” Romanov firmly says. “Yes, that’s true. Everyone tried to play well, but those two were absolutely the best.”

Being an Islander

The Islanders lost another important piece of the team when captain Anders Lee signed with the Utah Mammoth on the first day of free-agent frenzy. “I texted him right away. He’s an amazing person, player, and captain. It’s really a shame he moved to another team.” He doesn’t know who to elect as the team’s new captain. “Thank God I don’t have a vote, because it would be hard to choose. You talk to everyone like friends, and when a player suddenly ends up not on your team, it’s scary. It’s just upsetting to be in their situation; I know firsthand what that feels like. You don’t want anyone to leave — we have a good team.”

Russian forwards Maxim Shabanov and Maxim Tsyplakov also left the Islanders. Moreover, Tsyplakov had a rather good first season. “A strong first season and a weaker second is normal. That happens to a lot of hockey players. Maybe now he’ll come back and play even better. That’s a possibility. For Shabanov, it’s different. Maybe he just didn’t settle into the NHL after the KHL. This year showed him what NHL hockey is like. Next year he may perform much better. There can be different reasons, but only they know the truth.”

Romanov is now entering the final season before his no-trade clause kicks in. Rumor has it that many clubs are showing interest in him now. “I haven’t heard that anyone wants to trade for me or acquire me,” the defenseman shuts down the rumors. “Whatever happens, happens — my job is to give everything to the team.”

He also denies that he had talks with other teams. “Honestly, I wanted to play for the Islanders so badly that nothing else interested me.” And with Romanov back in full shape, the Islanders will have a much better chance of returning to postseason after a two-year hiatus.