With new cap space, Islanders are taking time to make deals
Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello enters the arena before a scrimmage during training camp at Northwell Health Ice Center on Jan. 8. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The NHL re-opened for a business on Thursday after a five-day trade and waiver freeze.
And while there were a handful of trades, the Islanders, now with significant salary-cap space under the flat, $81.5 million ceiling, did not rush to make a move.
The expectation, though, is Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello is thinking big after shedding salary. He did not address the media on Thursday.
He gave himself financial wiggle room by trading defenseman Nick Leddy and his $5.5 million cap charge to the Red Wings this past Friday and then Andrew Ladd and his $5.5 million cap hit to the Coyotes the next day. The Kraken selected top-line right wing Jordan Eberle, who also has a $5.5 million cap charge, in Wednesday’s expansion draft.
The Islanders now have approximately $17.6 million in cap space.
Lamoriello has restricted free agents Adam Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier and goalie Ilya Sorokin to re-sign. Fourth-line center Casey Cizikas and Kyle Palmieri are the top unrestricted free agents.
But Lamoriello could also be maneuvering to make an offer to impending marquee UFA Gabriel Landeskog if the Avalanche’s star wing is available when the free agent market opens on Wednesday. The Islanders could also be interested in the Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko, though St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong told the media on Thursday he would not necessarily trade the sharpshooter despite Tarasenko’s camp requesting a move.
Lamoriello is also reportedly interested in defenseman Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, who he drafted 17th overall in 2003 as the Devils’ boss. The Wild bought both out of the final four seasons of their 13-year, $98 million deals.
On Thursday, the Flyers sent Shayne Gostisbehere and a second- and seventh-round pick in the 2022 draft to the Coyotes for future considerations, essentially a salary dump of the final two seasons of the defenseman’s six-year, $27 million deal.
It was a similar move the Coyotes, who still have approximately $24.3 million in cap space, per CapFriendly.com, made with the Islanders in taking on Ladd and the final two seasons of his seven-year, $38.5 million deal along with a second-round pick this year, a conditional second-round pick in 2022 and a conditional third-round pick in 2023. The Islanders received no asset in return, other than the resulting cap space.
Also on Thursday, the Red Wings acquired goalie Alex Nedeljkovic — supposedly Carolina’s goalie of the future — from the cost-conscious ‘Canes for goalie Jonathan Bernier and a third-round pick this weekend. The Red Wings promptly signed Nedeljkovic to a manageable two-year, $6 million deal.
The Kraken traded Tyler Pitlick to the Flames for a fourth-round pick in 2022 a day after they selected the forward from the Coyotes in the expansion draft.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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