With The Islanders Salary Cap Situation In Mind, Some Potential Targets

The New York Islanders have more questions than answers since their season came to a close on Tuesday night. Here's their current salary-cap situation and potential free-agent additions.

The New York Islanders have more questions than answers since their season came to a close on Tuesday night.

Looking at the books, the Islanders have 13 free agents in total, eight being unrestricted and four pending restricted free agents:

If the Islanders do not bring back anyone, they will have $6.34 million in available cap space, with the cap rising to $87.7 million. 

Their forward group totals $46.9 million, not including forward Julien Gauthier, who signed a two-year deal last summer worth $787,000 annually but spent the entire second half of the season in Bridgeport. 

The Islanders' defense totals $22.7 million, which includes defenseman Scott Mayfield and his $3.5 million annual value once he's activated off of long-term injured reserve.

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline that Mayfield would be able to take part in offseason workouts and is expected to be ready for next season. 

The goaltending total equals $11.76 million, with Ilya Sorokin's eight-year extension worth $8.25 million annually kicking in on top of Semyon Varlamov entering the second year of a four-year deal worth $2.75 million.

That brings their grand total to $81.36 million, which is how we got to $6.34 million in available cap space. 

For the purpose of this breakdown, let's focus on players who will impact the NHL salary cap next season. 

We do not know the status of UFA veteran forwards Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck, but if they are back, or just one of them returns, we are assuming it would be on team-friendly deal(s), let's say around $1-$1.25 million. 

Until we hear of commitment, let's say both do not come back. 

Quickly skipping through things, there's a strong chance that RFA Oliver Wahlstrom isn't back, as it's time for the two sides to part ways. 

RFAs forward Simon Holmstrom and Kyle MacLean, who was tremendous in his first NHL season, will be back.

If we are guestimating, let's say Maclean's extension is worth $950,000 annually, and Holmstrom's is $900,000, bringing the Islanders' cap space to $4.49 million. 

Ruslan Iskhakov, who is a pending RFA, is a question mark, as rumors swirled that he could be heading to the KHL due to the lack of opportunity on Long Island.

Getting called up to play in Game 82 and getting into Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes could certainly have made the decision to return easier if he's given an opportunity to win an NHL roster spot following the upcoming training camp. 

But let's not count him on the NHL roster just yet. 

On the blue line, the Islanders will have to make a decision on Mike Reilly and Robert Bortuzzo.

Reilly, claimed off waivers in late November, became the Islanders starting third-pairing left defenseman. He did more than enough to earn an extension, but it may be in the Islanders' best interest to wait before signing him.

Bortuzzo, who was acquired via trade, served his purpose by filling in for Mayfield. But with Mayfield returning, there's no need for the 34-year-old, who will likely continue his career elsewhere.

There's a situation in which LHD Sebastian Aho, whose expiring deal had a cap hit of $825,000, especially if Reilly does not serve to serve as an extra defenseman. 

Let's say Reilly is the only pending defenseman free agent to return, at $1 million annually on a one-year deal, that brings the Islanders cap space to $4.49 million.

.The Islanders didn't add at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline despite having $1.58 million in cap space. Lamoriello said he stood pat because he didn't feel like any lateral moves would have helped.

Now, $4.49 million is not a lot of cap space at all entering free agency if those signings and decisions mentioned come to fruition.

There are certainly ways to make more, such as potentially moving Jean-Gabriel Pageau and his $5 million, Kyle Palmieri and his $5 million, Brock Nelson and his $6 million, and Anders Lee and his $7 million. 

Pageau is the likeliest to not be on the roster next season. 

If Pageau goes without any salary retention, the Islanders could have over $9 million in space, which is a major game-changer in terms of who the Islanders could go after. 

Ok, so now, where should the Islanders be looking to bolster?

It's pretty obvious that they have a few holes in their top six that need to be addressed if they want to be a more consistent hockey club in 2024-25.

The Islanders need to get younger and faster but faster doesn't just mean physical speed. They need to become quicker thinkers to allow for strong breakouts and more consistent offensive pushes. 

The Islanders tried to fill the second-line left-wing spot with Hudson Fasching and Holmstrom down the stretch, but neither proved to be a strong fit there. 

Pierre Engvall, who signed a seven-year extension last summer worth $21 million, had been playing there alongside Nelson and Palmieri but found a home on the third line in a role that suited him much better.

The Islanders ended up filling their hole at the first-line left-wing position with fourth-line center Casey Cizikas, who has two years left on his deal at $2.5 million annually. 

Mathew Barzal told The Hockey News early on in the winger experiment that he felt more comfortable playing on the left side, but he seemed to adjust well to the right-wing role.

So, that allows the Islanders to get either two left wingers for line one and line two or one for each flank position. 

There was a player at the deadline that made a ton of sense for the Islanders, and that was San Jose Sharks forward Anthony Duclair, who ended up joining the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Duclair, who played for Islanders head coach Patrick Roy in juniors, will be an unrestricted free agent and showed well after leaving San Jose with 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in the final 17 games of the regular season before two assists in five playoff games.

His current deal carries a cap hit of $3 million and could get a slight bump, let's say, to $4 million annually. 

Carolina Hurricanes left winger Jake Guentzel would be a dream add, but with an expiring contract of $6 million, he will be asking for something in the $8-$9 million range, if not more, which the Islanders can't afford unless they move Pageau and then some. 

Another name to throw out there -- and there will be more of a deep dive later on options -- is Boston Bruins left winger, 27-year-old Jake DeBrusk, who had 19 goals and 21 assists in 80 games, with an expiring deal worth $4 million. 

He has three goals and two assists in the five playoff games, with Game 6 between the Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs coming Thursday night. 

On the backend, the Islanders need to bring in a left-side defenseman who can take some minutes off of Adam Pelech's hands, a veteran blue-liner who is under contract through 2028-29 but has taken steps back after a few head injuries.

A player who would make a ton of sense is Hurricanes' defenseman and former New York Rangers blue-liner Brady Skjei. 

The 30-year-old is on an expiring deal worth $5.25 million and has 13 goals and 14 assists in 80 games, before five assists in five games against the Islanders in their first-round series. 

Another option is Detroit Red Wings defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who is on an expiring deal worth $4.125 million, recording 10 goals and 46 assists in 81 games. 

Getting Skjei makes sense, but it would make more sense, financially, for the Islanders to just bring Reilly back over a player like Gostisbehere. 

Now, it's very likely that the players mentioned are all brought back by their respective clubs. 

Regardless of who is brought in, there's a hole on the top line, there's a hole on the second line, and there's a clear need for another left-side defenseman.