Three Burning Questions As Islanders Offseason Begins

As we wait for the official conclusion of the New York Islanders season, with exit interviews coming at some point over the next few days, there are a lot of questions surrounding the path the organization will take this summer.

As we wait for the official conclusion of the New York Islanders season, with exit interviews coming at some point over the next few days, there are a lot of questions surrounding the path the organization will take this summer.

Here are three burning questions:

Who is running this team in 2024-25 after failing to make it out of the first round in back-to-back years?

People will call for general manager Lou Lamoriello to be fired or, at the very least, want to see him step down.

Besides showing faith in a roster that seems to have run its course, Lamoriello made some solid moves this season, claiming defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers and trading for Robert Bortuzzo, two moves that helped the Islanders get into the playoffs.

Of course, the hiring of Patrick Roy -- albeit a tad too late in the grand scheme of things -- was a tremendous add that will only help the organization get to where they want to go. 

But this roster needs some work if the team is going to be a true Stanley Cup contender over the next few seasons. 

At 81, is Lamoriello interested in breaking things down? If he's willing to make the necessary changes, he likely still has the trust of majority owner Scott Malkin -- and that's really all that matters.

But if Lamoriello believes this group can still get it done -- not the young core, but the group as a whole -- then it's time to make a change because this group, as it is currently constructed, has run its course.

Nothing can happen to fix the roster until ownership decides on who is running things. 

Which pending free agents are coming back?

We'll dive into this in more detail in the coming weeks, but given his injuries this season and just the grinding of his career, unrestricted free agent Matt Martin could be hanging up the skates. The 34-year-old missed 25 games this season and the final two playoff games with various injuries.

His long-term linemate, Cal Clutterbuck, is coming off a strong age-36 season and has repeatedly told us that he wants to keep playing, so don't be shocked if the pending UFA comes back on a league minimum deal.

Although deserving of a contract extension, the Islanders may wait to bring back Reilly and see if they can bolster the left side even more. 

Looking at the team's restricted free agents, rookie Kyle MacLean will undoubtedly get an extension, and forward Simon Holmstrom will likely get one as well. 

Although rumors have swirled about forward Ruslan Iskhakov going to Russia, the two-time AHL All-Star who played in two NHL games this season—Game 82 and Game 4 against the Carolina Hurricanes—will likely be back. 

One would think that RFA forward Oliver Wahlstrom, who is arbitration-eligible, will not be back as he seemingly became an afterthought for Roy. It's time for the two sides to part ways. 

How many of the Islanders under contract remain on the roster?

Once the Islanders figure out who is steering the ship and which workers are coming back to man it, they have to decide who is going to walk the plank.

Moving the larger contracts will be daunting despite the salary cap jump, but if New York wants to improve, it needs cap space.

Quickly diving into the cap situation, with a deep dive coming later, the Islanders will have around $6.2 million in available space, which includes Scott Mayfield's $3.5 million coming back on the books. 

That's before the Islanders bring back a soul. 

With how well MacLean played, he essentially made centerman Jean-Gabriel Pageau and his $5 million expendable, but outside of winning face-offs, who knows what kind of value Pageau has on the open market. 

If the Islanders were going to commit to trading centerman Brock Nelson, who reached the 30-goal mark for a third-straight season, the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline was the time. 

Entering the final year of his contract with a $6 million cap hit, the 32-year-old will be in for a pay raise given his play, and New York has to decide if they want to pursue that or flip him at the 2024 NHL Trade or wait until the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

Not seeing Nelson in an Islanders sweater seems unlikely, and the same is true for Islanders captain Anders Lee, who has two years remaining at $7 million annually. 

Roy seems to love right winger Kyle Palmieri, who has one year left on his $5 million contract, so it would be shocking to see him move. 

So, if we are playing the guessing game, maybe two starters -- at most -- leave the roster this summer. 

But, as mentioned, if the Islanders want to improve in certain areas, they have to do what they can to create more space...or trade the 18th pick like we saw when they acquired defenseman Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th overall pick in 2022 for someone that can help them right now.