from Stephen Lorenzo of the New York Daily News,

It all starts with extending Johnny Boychuk. In addition to having better players than they did a year ago, the Isles now have a chemistry on and off the ice, and Boychuk is one of the keys. The affable defenseman is a pending free agent, and teammates can’t seem to talk about him without smiling.

Though he isn’t a captain, Boychuk is a leader for the Isles (32-17-1, 65 points), who were first in the Metropolitan Division entering Wednesday night. Keeping Boychuk is an Islander priority.

“There’s obviously a recipe for success on the ice and in the locker room right now and if you tinker with it — well, you don’t want to,” defenseman Calvin de Haan said. “We can’t control what’s going to happen at the end of the year, but I think it’s a good thing to keep it together, personally.”

read on