NHL training camps are shorter this year. How will that affect Islanders rookie Victor Eklund and others?

Another game situation, another goal for slick-skating left wing Victor Eklund, this time in the Islanders’ training camp scrimmage on Friday after he scored in each of the two rookie-camp games against the Devils.

Eklund, the 16th overall pick in 2025, is making the most of his time as he tries to prove to the Islanders’ brass that he deserves to start the season on the NHL roster. But that’s Sept. 30 in Toronto, and unfortunately for the players battling to make teams, there’s less time now. The collective bargaining agreement has cut training camps by a week and the preseason from six games to four.

How much that will impact NHL teams still is a test case. Will teams need to make decisions based on projections rather than cold, hard statistics and analytics?

“It’s a great question,” coach Pete DeBoer said after the White and Blue squads played to a 1-1 tie at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. “Listen, we’ll have the same information we would have had on 90% of the guys. But that last 10%, you always want more of a sample size. You always want another game just to make sure the eye test matches.

“The guys have to understand that there’s not a lot of time, so there has to be some urgency to them making a case for themselves.”

The Islanders will open the preseason schedule on Sunday against the Devils in Newark and face the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday before hosting the Rangers and Devils, respectively, at UBS Arena next Friday and Saturday.

“The early games are going to be slanted more toward some of the younger players, some of the guys we’re going to be taking a look at,” DeBoer said.

That undoubtedly includes Eklund and his playmaking and skating skills, not to mention his underrated tenacity.

As DeBoer said, there is a definite need for Eklund and others pushing for a roster spot to show urgency with their given time on ice.

Urgency, however, does not equal pressure for the 19-year-old Swede.

“Not so much,” said Eklund, who had an assist in the Islanders’ finale last season in his NHL debut. “It’s the same opportunity for everyone. Just go out there and play the best I can. And if the organization likes it, they like it. I’ll just play my game. I still have a lot left to learn. I haven’t really shown much in the NHL, just one game.”

Yet if a top prospect is under a time crunch to adequately showcase his skills, it’s far more so for the journeymen.

For instance, there’s 28-year-old Mitchell Chaffee, a physical fourth-line candidate with 109 games of NHL experience with the Wild and Lightning. He earned the trust of current Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche during their time together with Tampa Bay, but there might not be enough time for Chaffee to carve out an immediate role with the Islanders.

“You’ve got to bring it every day,” he said. “You’ve got to make the most of your time. There’s so many different rules now that time is important.”

And limited. But Eklund is making the most of his.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.