Islanders' Romanov signs eight-year extension, pledges to repay faith

Alexander Romanov signed an eight-year, $50 million extension with the New York Islanders two days before free agency opened this summer, anchoring his future on Long Island through 2033. The 25-year-old defenseman said he is happy with the deal but must prove he can play at a high level for the entire eight-year term. "Obviously so happy," Romanov told The Post before skating in his first preseason game of the year, a 6-2 loss to the Devils Tuesday night. "But you got to prove that you're responsible to play at this high level for the next eight years. We're not only talking about this year, next year. All eight years." "Just play hard," Romanov said. "Hardest hockey I ever played. Go all out."

Romanov arrived on Long Island from Montreal in the 2022 draft-day trade and was expected to form a long-term top defensive pairing with Noah Dobson. That plan evolved as the Islanders faced restricted free agency for both players and the club moved to keep Romanov while using the No. 1 overall pick on defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Dobson went to Montreal, and Romanov is now on track to be part of a left-side pairing with Schaefer that could define the Islanders through 2033. "He's a great player," Romanov said of Schaefer. "The most important thing I noticed is that for his age, I don't see a big difference between him and NHL players. It looks like he already has NHL experience."

Romanov's commitment to the organization’s long-range plans also comes as the Islanders opened the preseason with a 6-2 defeat at New Jersey on Tuesday. He spoke before the game about the responsibility that accompanies the eight-year extension, while coach Patrick Roy outlined health considerations for a few veterans in the lineup. Roy said Anthony Duclair likely would play his first preseason game Thursday at Madison Square Garden, but his status would depend on how he feels after last year's groin injury; "He needs to be 100 percent when he goes," Roy said.

Among the lineup notes, Kashawn Aitcheson was the only Islander to play in both of the first two preseason games, returning after leaving Sunday’s match following a knee-on-knee collision with Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen. "Just caught my knee," Aitcheson said. "Just hurt it a bit, but we're good now." Marshall Warren traveled to New Jersey as an extra defenseman in case Aitcheson could not go. Roy indicated the club would monitor the status of other players as the preseason progressed. If healthy, Duclair's status remained uncertain ahead of Thursday’s MSG date, with the coach emphasizing the need for players to be medically cleared before returning to the ice.

On the coaching staff, Kyle MacLean downplayed the absence of his father, John MacLean, from the Islanders’ bench. "It's not too big of a deal. It's good for both of us, establishing myself, and maybe the separation will be good. It's a business. We get it. He gets it too," MacLean said.

Forward Daylan Kuefler left Tuesday's game in the first period with an upper-body injury, and Roy said he would not have an update on his status without further evaluation. The injury adds to an early-season roster shuffle as the organization evaluates players ahead of the regular season.

The eight-year extension signals the Islanders’ intent to anchor their defense around Romanov for the foreseeable future, with Schaefer expected to join him as a cornerstone on the left side alongside veteran partners over the coming seasons. The contract provides long-term stability for the franchise as it continues to balance youth with experience while charting a course through a tight salary cap. For Romanov, the message is clear: the faith the organization showed in him must translate to tangible results on the ice, night after night, across eight seasons. As he put it in brief comments to reporters, the goal remains simple and unwavering: play hard, be responsible, and help the team contend today and well into the next decade.