Simon Holmstrom's fall from top line to fourth has given other Islanders opportunities

Both Ondrej Palat and Anthony Duclair are playing with a confident, heck-with-you attitude to both their benefit and the Islanders. That’s Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s assessment of his current wingers, Palat being added to the third line for Monday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.

But that duo’s early-season success stands in contrast to fellow forward Simon Holmstrom, dropped to the fourth line and whose self-assessment following a pre-skate chat with coach Pete DeBoer is that he’s “got to be more involved.”

Holmstrom, who had 19 goals and 22 assists last season after setting career highs with 20 and 25 the previous season, needs that to start on Tuesday night when the Islanders face the woeful Canucks at UBS Arena.

“He’s an honest player,” DeBoer said. “I think expectations sometimes get in the way. Sometimes you’re thinking more about the end result, the goals, the assists, and the process gets lost a little bit in that. So just a reset for him.”

Holmstrom, who started the season on Bo Horvat’s top line, has a goal and an assist through five games.

DeBoer had a similar chat with Duclair after his lackluster minus-2 in 14:32 in a 5-2 loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden this past Tuesday. Duclair responded with his first goal — and only point so far — in a 4-1 win over visiting Chicago two days later.

But if Duclair’s production has not been eye-catching, his skating has been with his rejuvenated speed making a noticeable impact.

“It’s nice to be healthy and get going,” said Duclair, who never seemed right last season after a groin injury wrecked his 2024-25 campaign. “Just feeling like myself again.”

Palat, too, never seemed comfortable last season as an Islander after the two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Lightning was acquired from the Devils on Jan. 27.

But like Duclair, he’s skating noticeably better this season.

Like Holmstrom, he has a goal and an assist so far.

“I think it was just an off year for him,” DeBoer said. “In talking to him in his exit meeting, there was a lot going on. You get traded. Your family is in New Jersey and you’re here with a new team. I just think the fact that he had the summer to get his head around that he’s here, he’s a part of this and what he has to do [is important].”

But Pageau believes Palat and Duclair wanting to prove to others they can still play at a high level is an important factor, too.

“I see a lot of details in [Palat’s] game, he’s coming back with more confidence right now,” Pageau said. “He’s such a big part of the team when he plays with that confidence. Last year didn’t go the way he wanted and now he has his second chance. He came in this year with an attitude, ‘I’m going to show everyone.’ I see the same thing [from Duclair].”

The Islanders need those solid contributions from Palat, Duclair and Holmstrom to give them the balanced lines DeBoer wants. That’s even more the case until Mathew Barzal (left knee) is able to make his season’s debut. He continued to skate on his own on Monday.