NY Islanders unexpectedly have a ‘Mr. Cabernet’ who Is aging like vintage fine wine

New York Islanders forward Ondrej Palat has emerged as an early-season bright spot, earning the nickname "Mr. Cabernet" from teammate Mathew Barzal for his strong play at age 35. Following an offseason dedicated to improving after recording just five points in 29 games last season, Palat has experienced a career resurgence. He recently scored in a 3-2 victory against the Anaheim Ducks and earned the team's player-of-the-game honors.

While Palat's traditional scoring totals remain modest with two goals and one assist through 10 games, his underlying metrics reflect strong two-way effectiveness. Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer praised Palat's determined mindset and strong training camp, noting his positive impact across the lineup alongside top-tier advanced metrics.