The New York Islanders (43-34-5) were a frisky team the entire season with the emergence of 2025 No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer and a Vezina-caliber season from goaltender Ilya Sorokin. They were in a playoff spot heading into March, with a 34-21-5 record, placing them as one of the best three teams in the Metropolitan Division.
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As a result, the Islanders made an ill-advised trade with the St. Louis Blues for center Brayden Schenn. They gave up a package that included a first-round pick from the Colorado Avalanche to acquire Schenn, and while he regained some of his offensive game, the Islanders slumped after the trade.
From March onward, they went 9-13-0, missing the playoffs. The Islanders moved on from head coach Patrick Roy for accomplished head coach Peter DeBoer, showing they could build their roster to compete for the 2026-27 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the offseason.
What do the Islanders re-sign Anders Lee to?
The Islanders have a major financial decision to make with their 35-year-old captain. Lee has been through thick and thin in an Islanders uniform, approaching game no. 1000 with the team, but his seven-year, $49 million contract expires this season. General manager Mathieu Darche was non-committal, albeit hopeful, when asked about retaining Lee.
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“I told Anders I’d love to see him play his 1,000th game with the Islanders,” Darche said to the New York Post. “What that looks like, whether we were able to find something that’s suitable for us and for him, we’ll discuss. But I know he’s not far from it.”
Darche has shown a hard line in contract negotiations before, which is what happened with defenseman Noah Dobson, now with the Montreal Canadiens. It’s unknown what his line will be on Lee, but it will certainly be lower than the $7 million annually Lee was making on his past deal.
I’d imagine negotiations start a two-to-three-year deal worth between $4-5 million annually, similar to Lee’s teammate, Kyle Palmieri. However, with the salary cap rising, it might be more difficult. The Islanders need to do right by Lee, though.
Do the Islanders re-sign Tony DeAngelo?
The other major free agency decision comes on the blue line. Defenseman Tony DeAngelo, despite the baggage in his career, has made the most of his second chance with the New York Islanders.
In his first full campaign with the team, he was productive, with 35 points in 76 games. He also averaged around 19 minutes per night of playing time.
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The Islanders signed DeAngelo to a steal of a deal, at just $1.75 million. However, they’ll need to give DeAngelo a raise for him to stay.
AFP Analytics suggests the defenseman should get a $2.13 million contract, but he could strive for more in a poor free agency crop. Are the Islanders willing to pay that? Prospect Isaiah George has NHL experience under his belt, so do they let DeAngelo walk to give George more minutes?
How do the Islanders address their goal-scoring issues?
The Islanders are a tough team to play against, but to reach true Stanley Cup contention, they’ll need more goal-scoring, especially from the top six.
Bo Horvat was the only player on the team to reach over 30 goals, and he was just one of three (Matthew Schaefer, Emil Heineman) to cross the 20-goal mark.
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To be fair to them, they didn’t get a whole season of Brayden Schenn and Kyle Palmieri. Schenn was a trade deadline acquisition who scored six goals in 19 games, while Palmieri played just 25 games before suffering a torn ACL. Palmieri had scored over 20 goals each of the past two seasons before this one.
Still, they could use a guy to pair with Horvat and Barzal on the first line. Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch fits that bill, but the Sabres will try to extend him, and if not, he’ll be a top target in free agency. The Islanders could dig into their pick and prospect pool to get a top-line winger via trade. They need to take advantage of Matthew Schaefer still being on his entry-level contract.