


The Islanders, as far as we know, have yet to complete step one of the offseason: deciding whether or not to make a change at the top.
It’s hard to see much happening before Lou Lamoriello’s status is resolved. Though the Isles did announce on Monday that Hudson Fasching was signed to a two-year extension, it’s hard to do business when the general manager’s status is unclear.
That said, there’s not all that much the Islanders could do right now anyway.
Though they could make trades with other eliminated clubs, it is a rarity to see anything consequential happen before the playoffs end.
And though they could re-sign their own players, it is another two months before free agency starts on July 1.
The buyout window starts either June 15 or 48 hours after the playoffs end, whichever comes later.
So the Islanders have time to work with, and ought to use it wisely. Here is what the to-do list looks like for Lamoriello — or whoever replaces him as the team’s decision-maker.
Trade or buy out Josh Bailey
Given Bailey’s $5 million cap hit and how this season ended — with him in the press box — it does not seem tenable for him to play for the Islanders next season.
Bailey more or less admitted as much on breakup day, saying he was unsure of his future with the franchise, but adding he wants to be somewhere he’s playing, not “sitting in the stands a lot.”
Dealing Bailey, with an asset attached, to a team such as Arizona, Anaheim or Chicago would be the best-case scenario for the Islanders as it would wipe his entire cap hit off the books.
If that turns out to be impossible, buying him out and saving $2.33 million next season becomes the next-best option.
Address the right side of the defense
The left side of the blue line looks pretty much set with Adam Pelech, Alexander Romanov, Sebastian Aho and prospect Sam Bolduc comprising the depth chart.
The right side, though, was a problem this season. Ryan Pulock was the team’s best defenseman in the playoffs, but Noah Dobson’s development stagnated after a breakout 2021-22 and he struggled against the Hurricanes. Scott Mayfield will be a free agent.
Getting more mobile on the blue line is a must, and adding a power-play option after Dobson struggled wouldn’t hurt either.
The decision of whether or not to re-sign the 30-year-old Mayfield, who very much wants to return to the Islanders, is connected to the question of how the Islanders could replace him.
Bringing back the exact same defense corps doesn’t seem ideal, but Mayfield — while not much of a puck-mover — wasn’t exactly the problem and could come much cheaper than any of the potential solutions.
The Wild’s John Klingberg is the righty defenseman with the most pedigree who will hit free agency this offseason, but likely would fall outside of what the Isles could afford. Minnesota teammate Matt Dumba would likely be outside their price range as well.
Shayne Gostisbehere (Hurricanes) and Damon Severson (Devils) are both interesting names, but could be more costly than Mayfield and Gostisbehere is left-handed (though he has played the right side in the past).
Connor Clifton was a playoff scratch in four of seven games for the Bruins, but would let the Islanders get a little younger.
One name who isn’t a free agent and may be available is Minnesota’s Calen Addison. Recent reporting from The Athletic’s Michael Russo — as plugged in a beat reporter as there is in the league — suggests the Wild could look at dealing Addison, who was made a healthy scratch down the stretch after struggling in his own end.
This is pure conjecture on our part, but Addison is the kind of player who would make sense for the Islanders.
Just 23, he ran Minnesota’s power play well and had 29 points as a rookie this season. Perhaps a change to a more defense-oriented system could help him develop in his own end.
After the Isles saw success with Romanov this season, they should be confident in their ability to develop young defensemen.
It’s probably an open question as to whether the Islanders have enough assets to obtain the 2018 second-round pick after trading their 2023 first-round pick and top prospect in the Bo Horvat deal. But given Addison’s age, the additional years of team control he has and the low cap hit he brings, it is surely worth considering.
Sign Ilya Sorokin to a long-term extension (and find a backup)
This arguably could be the first item on the list, and it’s something the Islanders should move heaven and earth to get done by the onset of training camp.
No one is more important to the team’s success than Sorokin — it is not a stretch to say the Islanders would have been in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes without him.
The one silver lining to Sorokin’s cap hit taking a presumably massive jump in 2023-24 is the salary cap is projected to jump that year as well, making it more palatable for the Islanders.
It’s unclear how that will affect his eventual salary, but the comparisons for a deal have to start with Andrei Vasilevskiy (eight years, $76 million), Sergei Bobrovsky (seven years, $70 million) and Carey Price (8 years, $84 million).
All of those contracts, though, were signed under a much lower salary cap than will be in place when Sorokin’s next deal begins.
In other words: It would not be remotely surprising to see Sorokin set a new market standard for what a goalie can get paid.
As for his backup, if the Isles can bring Semyon Varlamov back at a reasonable price (a salary cut of 50-60 percent for Varlamov), then by all means, that is the best option.
If not (and Varlamov would be within reason to refuse such an arrangement), saving money should be the priority for a backup who would be likely to start 25-30 games next season if Sorokin is healthy.
Add more firepower on the wings
Also in the category of easier said than done, it is evident that the Islanders need to find a winger who can score.
That’s especially true after Anders Lee put together a dismal end of the season and playoffs, scoring just twice after March 21.
Pierre Engvall, who excelled with the Islanders after coming over in a deal from the Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline, is the first option. On breakup day, Engvall sounded positive about his experience on Long Island, but didn’t engage much regarding his pending unrestricted free agency.
The Islanders will probably need to decide whether the soon-to-be 27-year-old, who never has scored more than 35 points in a season, is worth a raise from his $2.25 million 2022-23 cap hit.
It’s important to note, however, that the Islanders are unlikely to find an upgrade in the free-agent market without paying more.
Michael Bunting (Maple Leafs) is in line for a raise, as is J.T. Compher (Avalanche), though both would come at a more realistic price tag than the Rangers’ Vladimir Tarasenko or — and we are laughing while we type this — Patrick Kane.
It’s as hard to see Tyler Bertuzzi accepting a discount as it is Lamoriello signing the only player in the NHL who refused to get vaccinated.
Jesper Fast is a compelling thought, though one that makes more sense if Zach Parise does not return and the Isles have a hole to fill in the bottom six versus Fast becoming another player miscast in a role that requires goal-scoring.
Unless a trade presents itself, you wonder whether the path of least resistance is to re-sign Engvall and Parise, hope Oliver Wahlstrom returns from injury strong and cross your fingers.
But there is always the nuclear option…
Here was an interesting moment from Monday’s breakup day, when Barzal was asked about his transition to right wing following the Islanders’ trade for Horvat:
“I’ve been a center for, I don’t know, 15 years. I wouldn’t say it was extremely natural right away,” Barzal said. “Playing with Bo or a little bit with [Jean-Gabriel Pageau] there late, they make it easy because they are just in the right positions and they are predictable.
“I would say the biggest thing is as a centerman crossing over a little bit more, whereas winger’s a little bit more stop and start, kinda on your side of the ice a little bit more. I think that was the one thing getting used to: I wasn’t in all areas of the ice as much as I was at center.
“There’s definitely a little bit of a mentality shift. Like I said, whether I’m on the wing or center, or if I’m on the ice with Bo or [Brock Nelson] or whoever, we should be able to create.”
Barzal maintained he’s happy to play wherever the Islanders want him to, and took responsibility for his playoff struggles despite returning from a suspected knee injury, but the fact is, he is on an eight-year deal and one of the faces of the franchise. If he wants to play center, or if the Islanders prefer him in the middle, then sooner or later, that will come to a head.
Because Horvat also is on an eight-year deal, that would mean trading either Nelson or Pageau. Such a move would be shocking, and would amount to an admission that this core of players cannot get it done.
But it would allow the Isles to play both Barzal and Horvat at center and reallocate salary-cap space to the wing and/or defense, suddenly free of either Nelson’s $6 million hit or Pageau’s $5 million hit.
(If you are wondering why not split the baby by trading Casey Cizikas, the answer is twofold: First, paying Pageau $5 million to be the fourth-line center would amount to a gross misallocation of resources. Second, Cizikas is on the books for a yearly $2.5 million cap hit until 2027, so trading the 32-year-old would not be so easy.)
That is very much the nuclear option for the Islanders, and would require the team to work around the 16-team no-trade clauses held by Nelson and Pageau.
It is not at all likely. But it is less impossible than it was a year ago.
Barzal and Horvat took the brunt of the criticism for the Isles’ scoring issues against Carolina, but it was good to hear Lee take some responsibility as well.
Lee scored just once against the ‘Canes, that goal coming at the end of a blowout win in Game 3, and had a largely forgettable series, including a number of good chances he failed to convert in a Game 1 loss.
“I felt I had my opportunities to score in this series. I wasn’t able to put it in the net,” Lee said. “So that’s a tough pill to swallow. That’s something I have to sit on for a little bit here. Can’t change that. That part isn’t enjoyable. It’s feeling like you came up short and feeling like you didn’t have a big moment for the team.”
Lee had 28 goals during the regular season, but he turns 33 in July, has an ACL tear in his past and is the main source of net-front offense for the Islanders. You have to wonder whether that formula will become problematic if it continues next season.