Islanders sign Long Island native Marshall Warren to two-way deal

Marshall Warren’s return gives the Islanders a homegrown answer to a real problem on the Bridgeport blue line: more reliable depth from a player who already proved he can move between levels.

The 25-year-old from Laurel Hollow, New York, signed a one-year, two-way NHL/AHL contract with the club on June 5, and the move immediately strengthens the Bridgeport Islanders’ defensive pool. The team did not disclose financial terms, but PuckPedia reported the deal carries an $850,000 cap hit and runs through the 2026-27 season.

Warren’s case is built on production, not sentiment alone. In 56 AHL games with Bridgeport last season, he scored six goals and 26 assists for 32 points, then added one assist in two Calder Cup playoff games. He also made his NHL debut with the Islanders and appeared in eight games, recording three assists. For an organization trying to keep its development ladder connected from Bridgeport to Long Island, that is the kind of résumé that makes a two-way deal more than a procedural move.

The signing also fits the Islanders’ larger identity play. Warren was the Long Island kid who once watched an Islanders playoff series from the stands, then turned that childhood connection into a professional path after signing his entry-level contract in April 2024. He went from the U.S. National Team Development Program to Boston College, then into a pro season that showed he could contribute offense from the back end while handling the jump in pace.

There is another layer to the fit. Warren told Newsday last season that he valued working with Bridgeport coach Rocky Thompson, and that relationship matters again now that Thompson has been promoted to Pete DeBoer’s NHL staff. For a player trying to turn a strong AHL season into a genuine call-up candidate, stability with the coaching group can matter as much as ice time. Warren does not need to become a star to matter. He needs to keep bridging the gap, one shift at a time, until an NHL opening turns into a permanent opportunity.