Islanders Should Keep An Eye On The Contract Chaos In Carolina

The Carolina Hurricanes have 14 pending unrestricted free agents, more than a handful of whom are starters in their lineup. If they hit free agency, could the New York Islanders be interested in any of them?

If you think the New York Islanders have tough decisions to make this summer, just look at the Carolina Hurricanes' books.  

After the New York Rangers eliminated the Carolina Hurricanes in five games last Thursday, Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell now has to live out a nightmare.

Eight of his players, a team that had a Stanley Cup on their mind after years of coming up short, are unrestricted free agents, along with six restricted free agents to deal with (at the NHL level). 

As of now, the Hurricanes have $31.66 million in space, with these names potentially hitting the market: 

Player Name: Expiring Contract AAV

F Teuvo Teravainen: $5.4 M 

F Jake Guentzel: $4.5 M

F Jordan Martinook: $1.8 M

F Stefan Noesen: $762,500

RD Brett Pesce: $4.025 M

LD Brady Skjei: $5.25 M

RD Jalen Chatfield: $762,500

That list doesn't include RFA Martin Necas, who seems to be on his way out. 

The asking price for Necas is going to be too high for the Islanders, despite him being a strong fit. This was a player rumored to be in a potential blockbuster deal for Matthew Tkachuk to put things in perspective. 

The Islanders have two top-six holes and could certainly bolster their backend on the left side, and a few of these Hurricanes could be perfect fits. 

The problem for the Islanders and, of course, the Hurricanes is that many of these players outplayed their cap hit and will be able to get raises. 

So, you can forget about Jake Guentzel, who is going to get a fortune this summer. 

The Islanders, who have their own UFAs and RFAs to deal with, have $7.075 million in cap space, so bringing in free agents due for pay raises might be impossible.

But everyone else on the list, the Islanders should keep tabs on. 

Teuvo Teravainen had a strong bounce-back season, scoring 25 goals with 28 assists for 53 points in 76 games after just 12 goals in 2022-23. 

"The year before wasn't great. I had some injuries and wasn't feel that good on the ice. This year, I think I got back on the right track." (H/t Walt Ruff)

Teravainen, who could likely be a strong fit on the Islanders' second line, likely gets between $5.25-$6 million on the open market if he isn't brought back -- a bit rich. 

Noesen, who killed the Islanders in the playoffs with two back-breaking goals, is certainly going to get a pay raise, likely north of $2 million, as he's a depth player who can be the missing, grinding piece for a Stanley Cup hopeful. 

"Truthfully, I just think the [free agency] process is cool. I've never been a part of it. I hear it's stressful, and there's a lot of digging at you...If we make it there, great. If we don't, we don't. That means that we've figured it out here." (H/t Walt Ruff)

With the Islanders potentially losing two fourth-line players, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin, Noesen would be a perfect fit and could help the power play. 

Jordan Martinook, who scored 14 goals with 18 assists for 32 points in 82 games, would be another great fit, scoring two goals against the Islanders in the playoffs. 

However, Martinook will likely cost more than Noesen, and the Islanders shouldn't be paying more than $3 million for a bottom-six player, especially if they are going to be on the fourth line. 

"To be a team consistently at the top of the standings is something I guess you can hang your hat on, but when you're consistently at the top of the standings, you need to get over that hump. We haven't been able to do it." (H/t Walt Ruf

Noesen would be the add-on offense, but if the Islanders wanted to bolster their blue line, the Hurricanes have some dynamic players that may be hitting the market. 

However, the Islanders need a left-side defenseman, so Brady Skjei, by default, becomes the top option. 

When speaking with Ethan Sears of the New York Post on the latest edition of Hockey Night in New York, we both agreed that Skjei would be a perfect fit for the Islanders. 

The question is, how big of a raise does he get?

One would think he's getting north of $6 million easily. 

"I just want a fair offer. That's the biggest thing. We'll see what that looks like. Like I said, I haven't thought about it too much. I have to talk to my agent and talk to Don [Waddell]. We'll see, and we'll try to figure it out." (H/t THN's Ryan Henkel).

So, to sum things up, the Islanders should definitely pay attention to the Hurricanes' decisions this summer, and if they can get a player like Noesen to bolster their bottom six or create the cap space to bring aboard a player like Skjei, that would be two strong editions.