In the aftermath of the trade that separated Coyotes center Derek Stepan from the only NHL team for which he he'd played, he checked when he’d return to New York to face the Rangers.

And he discovered a reunion awaited him during the 10th game of the season.

“I know that I’m going to be emotional with it,” Stepan said. “It’s going to be tough to go into the building and go into a different locker room. But such is life. You just gotta embrace it and have some fun with it, and that’s kind of my game plan in my head right now. We’ll see if I can go through with it on Thursday.”

Stepan’s return to Madison Square Garden after seven seasons with the Rangers headlines the Coyotes’ five-game, East Coast road swing, which begins Tuesday against the Islanders. But the trip could hold even more significance.

Arizona (0-7-1) is still seeking its first win of the season and its streak could snowball toward the 15-game slide by the 1943-44 Rangers that ranks as the longest winless streak to open a season in NHL history.

And although this adversity is unlike the success Stepan enjoyed in New York with a perennial playoff contender, it hasn’t changed Stepan's approach to being the in-game catalyst and off-ice role model the Coyotes coveted when they acquired him.

“I’m still trying to go about business and try to be a leader in the sense that I want to just kind of show guys, ‘Hey, these tough stretches happen. We just gotta keep working. We’ll come out of (it) better for it,’” Stepan said. “I’m just trying to do that, trying to stay with what I would do in New York and just keep things positive at the same time teaching and when there’s a moment to step up and be a leader, do that.”

Despite the team’s struggles, Stepan is settling in as the Coyotes’ newest No. 1 center after a June trade with the Rangers sent him and goalie Antti Raanta to Arizona in exchange for defenseman Anthony DeAngelo and the 2017 No. 7 draft pick.

His line with Max Domi and rookie Clayton Keller has scored or set up 11 of Arizona’s 18 goals – an impressive 61 percent – with Stepan tied for second in goals (two) and sitting third in points (six).

“I think we’ve built good chemistry,” Stepan said. “My game is still coming. I think I can be even better than I have. I think there’s moments where me and my linemates are maybe not as sharp because we haven’t played together long enough. But we’ve built some great chemistry, and the two guys that I’m playing with are super skilled. So my job is just to kind of get them in spots to get an opportunity with the puck on their sticks.”

Anchoring a bonafide top line is key among Stepan’s responsibilities, and the trio’s contributions no doubt help the Coyotes' competitiveness as the team pursues its first win.

But Stepan’s leadership seems to become even more valuable amid tough times, especially since the 27-year-old can offer up insight from a winning history to those around him.

“Sometimes players get sick of hearing a coach’s voice,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “Sometimes when it comes from a player, it helps and I think he does a nice job of that.”

Although he anticipated catching up with former teammates after Thursday’s game, Stepan said he wanted to try to bond with the Coyotes on this trip – which he feels is a great opportunity for the team to gel.

He also believes this time on the road is a chance for the Coyotes to climb out of their early-season hole, and Stepan remains confident in the potential of this group to enjoy a turnaround.

And as they strive for that, Stepan isn't planning a major overhaul.

His surroundings are new, and this type of skid at the start of a season is certainly unique, but neither has affected Stepan's outlook on his role and the strides he hopes to accomplish with the Coyotes.

“I’m still doing what I set out to do," he said. "I don’t think that will change."

More:Coyotes fail to find spark as Blackhawks keep Arizona winless

On the mend:Coyotes confident in Antti Raanta as No. 1 goalie

Work to do:Rick Tocchet teaching now more than ever

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

Tuesday's game

Coyotes at Islanders

When: 4 p.m.

Where: Barclays Center.

TV/radio: Fox Sports Arizona/KTAR-AM (620).

Outlook: The Islanders have won their past two games, improving to 4-3-1 on the season. Before edging the Sharks 5-3 at home on Saturday, they outlasted the Rangers 4-3 in a shootout last Thursday. New York is 4-0 when scoring at least three goals (including shootout winners) and 0-3-1 when the team does not reach the three-goal plateau. Forwards John Tavares, Anders Lee and Josh Bailey each have a team-high six points, with Lee pacing the Islanders in goals with five. Goalies Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak have split the netminding duties. Halak is expected to start Tuesday; he's 2-2 with a 2.66 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.