Offer sheets do not come around often, but with the strong 2025 restricted free agent (RFA) class and the dominance of Philp Broberg and Dylan Holloway in St. Louis, there is a growing sense that teams will explore the idea this offseason.
For the New York Islanders, this offseason could be the right time to make such a move.
Winning the draft lottery has shifted the outlook of their contention window by adding a top prospect like Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, or James Hagens to a pool that already includes Cole Eiserman, Cal Ritchie, Danny Nelson, and others.
Core players like Mathew Barzal, Bo Horvat, and Ilya Sorokin are also under long-term contracts, so the team will not likely enter a full-blown rebuild anytime soon.
So, the Islanders’ next general manager will likely try to improve the roster while getting younger, and an offer sheet could be a great way to do it.
Evan Bouchard, Matthew Knies, and J.J. Peterka lead the 2025 RFA class, and while these names could make sense for the Islanders, going after the next tier of players would make more sense.
Two candidates for the Islanders are Marco Rossi and Gabe Vilardi.
Rossi scored 60 points (24 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games for the Minnesota Wild this season, yet reports have consistently listed him as a candidate to be shipped out of Minnesota because the front office does not see him as a long-term fit.
He was played as a bottom-six player in the playoffs, making it clear during his end-of-the-season presser that he views himself as a top-six player.
Vilardi scored 61 points (27 goals, 34 assists) in 71 games for the Winnipeg Jets, and the team may not have the cap space to give him the long-term money he is hoping for, especially if they re-sign pending unrestricted free agent Nikolaj Ehlers.
While these two 23-year-old forwards are of a different caliber, they would each likely land in the fourth compensation level:
For Rossi, a medium-to-long-term deal would likely follow a similar framework to Matthew Coronato’s seven-year, $6.5 million AAV contract.
Something to note is that Coronato was a 10.2(c) RFA, so he was not arbitration-eligible.
For Vilardi, the cost would push to a $7 million AAV, potentially for just three to five seasons at the $7,020,113 ceiling for the fourth compensation level.
If the Islanders signed either player to a number at this level, they would forfeit their 2026 first—and third-round picks.
Reminder: Compensation for an offer sheet is calculated by dividing the total contract value by the term length, but it is capped at a maximum of five years.
So, for Vilardi, giving him $7.02 million AAV for longer than five years would elevate his compensation to the next level.
It is a fair question to ask why Vilardi or Rossi would leave their respective teams, and the answer comes down to money.
For Vilardi, Winnipeg likely wants to give him a bridge deal to keep money around to sign Ehlers, then Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey over the next few offseasons.
Their offer may be a three to four-year deal worth just over $5 million annually, as opposed to a deal worth $7 million annually on Long Island.
For Rossi, the situation plays out a bit differently, as Minnesota might be hesitant to commit long-term.
A six-year deal at a $5.85 million AAV could make sense for both Rossi and the Islanders.
This deal would keep the contract in the fourth-tier compensation range, give Rossi a clear path to unrestricted free agency at age 29, and finally land him a second-line center role, something he still has not gotten in Minnesota.
Rossi could also fight for the same AAV as Coronato at $6.5 million but would then have to settle for just a five-year deal.
As of now, this is speculation, but it is something to watch if Rossi remains without a contract come July 1.
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov, Dallas Stars forward Mavrick Bourque, and Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Quinn are other offer sheet possibilities.
All three are skilled forwards buried on their current teams’ depth charts, leaving an opening the Islanders could look to exploit.
However, the Islanders do not currently own their 2026 second-round pick, which is likely the compensation tier needed to realistically acquire one of these RFAs.
A third-round compensation offer, falling in the $1.54 to $2.34 million range, would almost certainly be matched by their current teams.
The 2026 second-rounder belongs to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the Josh Bailey trade in 2023, but with the 42nd overall pick in this year’s draft or other assets, the Islanders could find a way to get it back.
Offer sheets are rare, and it is unknown whether the Islanders’ next general manager would make such an aggressive move so early into their tenure, but the idea will undoubtedly be discussed as free agency approaches.
Michael Ostrower wrote this story.
Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.