New York Islanders general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello stated during his media availability the importance of re-signing his pending unrestricted free agents. For a GM confident in the roster in place, it’s a priority to keep the core together for another season with the hope of making a run at the Stanley Cup.
The problem Lamoriello faces is that it will be hard to re-sign everyone, especially with the Islanders’ cap situation. The four big names are Pierre Engvall, Scott Mayfield, Zach Parise, and Semyon Varlamov. All four will force the Islanders’ hand and ultimately require a key player to leave the team in the offseason. As a result, there are a few free agents that will be more important for Lamoriello to bring back for next season.
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The question is which players must Lamoriello bring back and which ones must leave in free agency? Some of the players will be great to have on the roster next season while others are essential to the Islanders’ success and will make the team one of the best in the Eastern Conference.
Semyon Varlamov
Varlamov is the least likely of the free agents to be re-signed. He put together a great season with a .913 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.70 goals-against average (GAA) on 689 shots with 6.0 goals saved above average (GSAA). However, the minimal workload is indicative of his role as he’s the backup to Ilya Sorokin, who started 60 of the 82 regular season games and put together a Vezina Trophy-caliber season. At 34 years old, he is past his prime and at the end of his career, making him a difficult goaltender for the Islanders to bring back even on a short-term deal.
There’s a possibility that Varlamov returns on a team-friendly contract and backs up Sorokin for another season. However, considering the Islanders would be paying a goaltender to start only 20 games, they might look elsewhere to find a backup. The Islanders can find a younger option like Collin Delia or Anthony Stolarz on a cheap contract and ask them to take on a minimal role knowing Sorokin can carry the team in the net.
Varlamov has put together a memorable tenure with the Islanders. In four seasons, he provided stability in the net and helped them reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and 2021 with multiple remarkable performances. However, it’s likely that his time with the team is over. He can still be a valuable goaltender on plenty of teams and notably split starts on a contender but the Islanders need to use their salary cap space elsewhere.
Scott Mayfield
Mayfield has been one of the best defensemen on the Islanders in recent years, helping the unit become one of the best in the NHL. An integral part of the second and third pairing, he is exceptional at forcing turnovers in all three zones and blocking shots. His defensive point share (2.7 or more in each of the past five seasons and 19.9 in his career) reflects the consistent value he brought to the Islanders, naming himself a core part of the defensive unit.
The Islanders would love to have him back next season. The problem is that Mayfield will get a favorable deal in free agency and take advantage of his last opportunity to cash in on a big contract. Damon Severson was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets after signing an eight-year, $6.2 million deal and Mayfield can field an offer in a similar range. While he isn’t as good as Severson, he can still receive a five-year deal in the $4 million range with a team eager to upgrade their defense.
The other issue pertaining to the Islanders is that their defensive unit is shifting to become a younger and faster one. Mayfield was the oldest defenseman on the team at 30 years old and Lamoriello not only has younger options but also drafted two defensemen in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Calle Odelius and Isaiah George. It’s a sign that Mayfield’s spot on the unit will be up for grabs next year for one of the team’s top prospects.
Mayfield can return on a team-friendly deal but he will likely look for a long-term contract to end his career. It leaves Lamoreillo with a player that he’ll have to reluctantly let go of but in a necessary move to allow the Islanders to make other big deals in the offseason. Mayfield established himself as a favorite among the fans and a leader on the defense, making him a tough loss and someone a contending team will eagerly sign.
Zach Parise
Since signing with the Islanders in the 2021 offseason, Parise has been one of the best skaters on the team and arguably the best bargain in the NHL. On a $750,000 per-year deal, he scored 36 goals and 33 assists as an instinctive goal scorer in the offensive zone. He’s added depth to the forward unit and at times played like a top-six skater to help elevate an offense that otherwise struggled. The Islanders want him back next season and hope they can see him continue to play at a high level on a team looking to go all-in next year.
The question is if Parise wants to be back. He’s 38 years old and will be 39 by the time next season starts. While he’s shown no signs of slowing down, it’s clear that the grind of an 82-game season is starting to take a toll on the veteran skater. He played all 82 games this year but in the playoffs, he looked fatigued and it resulted in a drop in production as he failed to record a point in the six-game series against the Carolina Hurricanes. The bottom line is that he has a tough decision to make this offseason, one that every player dreads but a necessary one for both him and the Islanders, who hope he returns for a 15th season.
If Parise re-signs, it will be on a one-year deal in the $2 million range. It would be one last contract that would allow the Islanders to go all-in on this season without surrendering too much of their salary cap. He would provide that much-needed scoring presence to the offense and for one more year, Parise would look to hoist the Stanley Cup, something he came close to doing in 2012 but has yet to do in his career.
Pierre Engvall
Lamoriello will do everything in his power to bring back Engvall. After he was acquired at the trade deadline, he became one of the Islanders’ best forwards, scoring five goals and four assists in only 18 games, and then added a goal and an assist in the playoffs. In addition, he formed a strong connection with Kyle Palmieri on the second line as the two skaters created scoring chances for one another.
The obstacles are based on Engvall’s value in free agency. What will the average annual value (AAV) of his deal be and how many years will a team give a 27-year-old skater in the prime of his career? The Islanders will look to match any offer and give him the best deal at the end of the day, something in the four-year, $4 million AAV range. The contract would be a lot and leave little room for the team to make other big moves, but it would be worthwhile as Engvall would be an integral part of the roster moving forward. Along with being a sharpshooter, something the offense has lacked in recent years, he’s also a versatile skater who can play the center or wing position, making him a valuable player to have in the lineup.
The Islanders will need to open up cap space to retain Engvall, especially if they hope to make another move like re-signing Parise or making a splash in free agency. The first thing Lamoriello will do is buy out Josh Bailey’s contract which will give the team some room to work with. However, if the Islanders need more space, they’ll have to possibly trade away a veteran from the fourth line or depth center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.
Ideally, Lamoriello keeps the roster intact for one more Cup run. The salary cap will force him to pivot, but a few moves can allow him to re-sign his valuable pending free agents and keep the Islanders competitive next year.