The Islanders struck out again trying to land a big fish free agent and still have a number of holes to fill this offseason. They still could use the help of a scoring wing as well as another left side defenseman. While most of the upper tier options have already signed elsewhere, there are still some quality options available on the free agent market. Here are five “under the radar” free agent options left for the Islanders to sign.
Note: As Nazem Kadri is considered one of the upper tier free agents available, he will not be included in this list.
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Sonny Milano is coming off a breakout season with the Ducks. He notched career highs with 66 games played and 34 total points while tying his career high of 14 goals. What was incremental to Milano’s breakout season was playing on a line with Trevor Zegras. The two meshed extremely well together, their highlight alley-oop goal last season being just one example of their chemistry. With Milano mixing so well with Zegras, it’s hard not to imagine how well he would pair with Mat Barzal. Bringing in Milano would also add an element of speed and youth to the team, both of which the Islanders need more of. All in all, Milano offers a low-risk, high-reward signing to improve the Islanders’ scoring wings. It’s a great sentimental story as well, with Milano being a Massapequa native who grew up an Islanders fan.
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Speaking of bringing players back to Long Island, former Islander Calvin de Haan also presents a viable free agent option. No one is certain about the status of Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene heading into next season, which means there’s an opening for another left defenseman. A reunion with de Haan presents a relatively safe option to regularly start. He’s a reliable defender and also a lot younger than the aforementioned Chara and Greene, which should help with the speed at which the defense plays. He’s also a big-time shot blocker, finishing third in the NHL with 172 blocks last season. The only real downside with de Haan is his injury risk. Aside from that, he could be a really useful player at a cap-friendly cost.
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Signing Kessel is a bit of a gamble at this point in his career. He still is a talented playmaker at the wing, as seen through his 52 points playing with a pretty bad Coyotes team. However, that also came with a mere eight goals on the season, his career low. For a team looking for a bonafide goal scorer, that total is a little concerning. But regardless of the dip in goal-scoring totals, there’s a lot to like with this player. He’s a vet with plenty of playoff experience and has played in 982 consecutive games. And his 52 points would be a great improvement, given that it would’ve been third on the Islanders roster last season. Adding Kessel as veteran depth could be a great under-the-radar move for improving the team’s forward unit.
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P.K. Subban makes a lot less sense than de Haan in terms of free agent defensemen that fit the team. Yet at the same time, his addition wouldn’t be all that surprising. Everyone knows how much Lamiorello loves his experienced veterans, and Subban is exactly that. Essentially, Subban would be taking on the Zdeno Chara role if Chara doesn’t return. This would include being a mentor to the young d-pairing of Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov. On the ice, Subban offers an upgrade to the team’s offensive game from the blue line. Specifically, the power play could benefit most from Subban’s puck-moving skills and wicked slap shot. He’s not the perfect option to upgrade the speed and quality of the defense, but he’s not a bad one. He still could be a great locker room leader and provide somewhat more on-ice value than Chara did last season.
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Evan Rodrigues had a big breakout for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021-22. He shattered all of his previous career highs, scoring 19 goals and getting 43 total points. He’s a player who’s very comfortable shooting the puck often, a quality the Islanders could use a lot more of from their forwards. He was also a routine producer on the Penguins’ power play, and even led the team in power-play points in their first-round series against the Rangers. That factor is especially intriguing for the Islanders given how they often struggle to produce on their own power play. Another intriguing factor about Rodrigues is his positional flexibility. He can play the right wing but also be able to work at the center position should anything happen to the four established starters. Overall, Rodrigues could be a sneaky addition for the Islanders. He’s someone who can elevate the aggressiveness of the team’s offensive attack and come close to 20 goals with regular power play time.
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