Josh Bailey, the longest tenured New York Islander, discussed his season, with his future with organization anything but certain despite having one year left on his contract.

There's been one constant in the New York Islanders locker room over the last 15 years, and that's been Josh Bailey. 

This year was supposed to be a special one for the now 33-year-old, who was set to hit the 1,000th game milestone against the New York Rangers on Oct. 26 at UBS Arena.

However, first-year head coach Lane Lambert elected to sit him two games before, throwing off his milestone night by a game, as he celebrated his 1,000th game in Carolina instead. 

And that decision was more of a precursor for what was to come.

He played in just 64 of the team's 82 games, with eight goals and 17 assists in a career-low 15:08 minutes per game. He did not dress for any of the Islanders' six postseason contests.

"I think we had a mutual respect for one another," Bailey said on Lambert. "I think looking back on it now, it's rather telling getting scratched four or five games into the year before my 1000th game, to where we ended up at the end of the season.

"I think it makes a lot more sense now. But that's all it's all part of the past."

Although the longest-tenured Islander has one year remaining on his contract, a $5 million cap hit, he very well may not play in another game for this franchise. 

And that's something he never thought would creep into his mind.

"It's a lot to take in. I've always thought of myself as an Islander and wanted to play my last game as an Islander, and who knows what it holds now," Bailey said. "I think it's a lot to take in for my family and I, but it is part of the business, and I understand that. I'm not playing any poor me cards by any means. It's just a lot."

There has not yet been a decision publically made about the status of Lamoriello as the general manager or Lambert returning as the head coach.

But if those two do come back, Bailey could very well find himself next season where he finished this one -- as a healthy scratch."

 "If I'm going to be sitting in the stands a lot that is not something I want to do," Bailey said, rightfully so.

Bailey was honest Monday afternoon about his play this season, a year where he scored eight goals with 17 assists, averaging a career-low 15:08 minutes per game. 

"Certainly, didn't play my best at times. I own that," Bailey said. "l felt like when I was (playing well), different things would happen. And we obviously had injuries throughout the course of the season, so I bounced around and on quite a few lines, in different positions.

"You do what you can to adjust and, at times, just didn't have the level I wanted to be at, and sometimes it just takes the right bounce here and there to get the confidence going. But all in all, just a tough season the way it all went down."

Bailey adamantly believes that he can still compete and play at a high level.

Regardless of where Bailey ends up going, if he doesn't remain with the Islanders, Long Island will always be home.

"It's home, I came here as a teenager and got married. All our kids are born here, and all the roots are here, and this is where we plan on living when hockey is all said and done regardless," Bailey said. "So 15 years has been a pretty good run, and I'm very proud of that."

So are his teammates. 

"He's one of my best friends, really. I looked up to him since I came here," teammate Mat Barzal said. "His demeanor. His skill and hockey sense on the ice, it's in the top tier. So yeah, I don't want to obviously look too far ahead. But I would obviously love to have him here for as long as he can play.

"He's a great mentor for guy like me and younger guys, and yeah, he's been awesome to me ever since day one."

Islanders captain Anders Lee said it was tough to see what Bailey went through this season. 

"Knowing Bailey and playing with him for a long time and sharing a lot of special moments on and off the ice together, it is hard to see," Lee said. " I mean, he's a true professional. He brings everything he has to the table every day and handles all of these things and this adversity with class. And that speaks a lot to his character and what he brings to our room."

Sitting and watching meaningful games is not something any pro wants to do. 

Teammate Zach Parise, an unrestricted free agent at 38, found himself in that situation before the Minnesota Wild bought him out of his contract after the 2020-21 campaign.

"I felt for him. I can relate. I told him that," Parise said. "It's hard.  mean, we're all proud people, competitive guys. Josh is no different and to find yourself not playing in important games, not playing in the playoffs, it's tough.

It sucks sitting up there in the press box, watching your team. It's brutal. And I mean, I always hated when people said this to me [...], but he handled it so well. You know what I mean? And I hated it when people said that but I understand. He came in with a smile, worked hard, laughing with everybody. [He's a] great person and I wouldn't expect anything different from him but I think that it speaks a lot about him as a guy, and so it's a tough situation."

Bailey did not speak much about the scratches during the season, saying all the right things to the media, not showing too much emotion.

Teammate Ross Johnston, who sat with him most nights, gave us an inside look into what that was like, especially in the playoffs.

"If you had a camera on him watching those playoff games, he had the attitude like he was in the games. He had the emotion, the anxiety with the crowd, whether it was in Carolina. He wanted to be on the ice," Johnston said. "So he cares, probably the most out of anyone in that room. So to see that energy, even when he's not in the lineup, just the passion that he shows night in and night out whether he's in the lineup or out of the lineup, is unparalleled."

Because Bailey is under contract, the Islanders have options. 

They can buy him out, which would save the team $2.33 million in 2023-24, but would carry a cap penalty of $1.66 million in 2024-25.

The Islander rather have as much money as possible following the 2024-25 season as that's when Veinza-caliber netminder Ilya Sorokin needs to get extended. 

The cheaper route for the Islanders, if not traded before the start of next season, would be to waive Bailey. Burying him in the minors would save them $1.15 million, making his cap hit $3.825 million. 

There are very few places around the NHL where Bailey could go and get significant playing time, having to likely move his family in the process -- which he made clear was not ideal.

If Josh Bailey does come to peace with where he's at in his career and decides that moving somewhere else isn't in the cards, there's likely a position for him with the franchise to stay involved with this group and organization going forward.