The 2024 NHL offseason is just on the horizon for the New York Islanders. They had a rollercoaster of a 2023-24 season, with a team that struggled mightily and went through a mid-season coaching change. Despite that, the team played well enough down the stretch to secure a postseason berth for the second straight year. After losing in the first round, the Islanders will be looking to bolster their roster ahead of Patrick Roy’s first full season as head coach.Â
Restricted Free Agents
There are only a few significant players entering the offseason as restricted free agents. First is Simon Holmstrom, who emerged as a solid third liner last season. He was especially valuable as a penalty killer, finishing tied for second in the league with five shorthanded goals. The 23-year-old former first rounder is a virtual guarantee to get a new contract.
Next would be Kyle MacLean, who played his way into a role as the Islanders’ regular fourth line center. His impressive play down the stretch definitely earned him a roster spot for next season. The last relevant RFA is former 11th overall pick Oliver Wahlstrom. He’s been in and out of the lineup the last couple of seasons amidst some notable struggles. If he gets a new contract, there’s a nonzero chance that the Islanders will find him a new home, given his limited role on the team. Other restricted free agents include Ruslan Iskhakov and Dennis Cholowski.Â
Unrestricted Free Agents
Headlining this year’s class of unrestricted free agents are Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin. The duo have been stalwarts on the Islanders fourth line for almost a decade. However, their efficiency has been waning, and has raised questions about potentially resigning them. Whether or not Lou Lamoriello and company decide to move on from the long-time fourth liners will be one of the team’s biggest storylines this offseason.Â
The next most important free agent the Islanders have is defenseman Mike Reilly. Reilly was a gem of a waiver claim that became a great offensive blueliner. Given their lack of depth at defensemen, getting Reilly back will be a high priority for the team. Rounding out the free agent class are two other depth defensemen, Sebastian Aho and Robert Bortuzzo. Given his tenure with the team, there’s a strong chance Aho returns, especially if Reilly signs elsewhere.
Additions
While free agency hasn’t opened yet, the Islanders have made two noteworthy additions. The first of those additions is 25-year-old Russian winger Maxim Tsyplakov. The Islanders signed the former KHL player to a one-year deal for the 2024-25 season. Tsyplakov is a great addition by virtue of his being a low-risk, high-reward player. At worst, he’ll be nothing more than a passable middle six winger. At best, he could emerge as a 20-goal scorer that’ll give the team massive value. The second of the two additions is goaltender Marcus Hogberg. The 29-year-old netminder has 42 games of NHL experience that has led him to a career 3.42 GAA and a .894 save percentage. He’ll likely fill the role as the team’s third goaltender, staying in the AHL barring an injury to Ilya Sorokin or Semyon Varlamov.Â
As far as any further additions go, it would have to depend on how management handles the internal free agent class. The Islanders will only have just north of $6 million to spend and would likely use most of it if they choose to bring back their most relevant free agents. The most realistic way to open up cap space or make another big addition is by way of a trade. If a trade isn’t made, the only further additions would likely be depth signings towards the defensemen and/or bottom six.Â
Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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