Islanders extend contract of Laurel Hollow's Marshall Warren (original) (raw)

Marshall Warren knows how much Rocky Thompson helped him last season. The defenseman from Laurel Hollow hopes to continue that player-coach relationship this season with the Islanders now that Thompson has been promoted to coach Pete DeBoer’s NHL staff after one season leading the organization’s AHL affiliate.

The Islanders announced on Friday that Warren, 25, has agreed to a one-year, two-way deal. The contract is worth 850,000fortheNHLand850,000 for the NHL and 850,000fortheNHLand100,000 for the AHL, and Warren will head to Islanders training camp in September hoping to earn a roster spot in his third season in the organization.

“The biggest thing is just to have a really good camp and be able to compete, be in shape and give myself the best foot forward and hopefully show people what I can do,” Warren told Newsday. “Last year was a big year for me, just kind of learning everything and taking my first NHL game.

“Coach Rocky did such a good job with me of instilling so many parts of my game and showing me how to develop. He developed me into the defenseman that I am today. Honestly, it’s all credit to Rocky. Sometimes a coach just gets a player and he knows the style of play he wants to play. It’s cool he’s still in the organization, so hopefully I’ll be able to see him.”

The 5-11, 195-pound left-shooting Warren had six goals and 26 assists in 56 AHL games for Bridgeport and three assists in eight games for the Islanders. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 25 in Philadelphia.

“We all love when we see an 18-year-old somewhere like Matthew Schaefer,” Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said during the team’s breakup day on April 15 of the No. 1 overall pick, who won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. “But the reality is most guys need time to develop. But I want, at training camp next, if there’s a young guy that deserves to be on this team, we’ll make a spot for him.”

That might not be the easiest task for Darche.

Schaefer is the Islanders’ No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback. Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech and Scott Mayfield are under long-term contracts, all with either no-trade or modified no-trade clauses. Alexander Romanov will be ready for training camp after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury. Tony DeAngelo is an unrestricted free agent with interest on both sides for his return. Lefthanded Isaiah George, 22, also is expected to make a strong push to be part of the lineup.

Warren will get his chance, but a return to the AHL, with the Islanders’ affiliate relocated to Hamilton, Ontario, also is a possibility.

“I don’t know anything at all about [Hamilton], to be honest,” Warren said with a laugh. “We’ll see.”

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.