Photo by Airman 1st Class Elijah Harris, Public domain
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Matthew Kessel
New York Islanders Defense #51
Ninety-nine games across four seasons, and three goals.
| Season | GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GW | S | S% | TOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 29 | 2 | 1 | 3 | +1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 10.0 | 12:32 |
| Career | 99 | 3 | 10 | 13 | -3 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 68 | 4.4 | 14:27 |
Last Season
Two goals and one assist in 29 games — three points, plus-one, at 12:32 a night with 10 penalty minutes. His five-on-five work was done in St Louis.
The Finesse Game
Thirty-one unblocked attempts from a median of 48 feet, six per cent from inside twenty, two goals. Thirteen points in 99 career games.
He makes the safe pass and gets off the ice. There is no evidence of anything more and the role does not require it.
The Physical Game
Six foot three, 212, and he defends adequately without imposing. Ten penalty minutes in 29 games.
The Intangibles
Forty-six point six per cent of the expected goals, 22nd percentile, and 46.2 per cent of the shot attempts, 19th, across 349 minutes — a thin sample and a poor one.
He is 26, a fifth-round pick, and four seasons into a career that has produced 99 NHL games and no clear role.
New York’s blue line is Schaefer, Pelech, Pulock, Mayfield, DeAngelo and Bear. This is a seventh defenceman and the page cannot honestly say more.