Free agency is around the corner, and teams around the league are gearing up to make a splash or two. The New York Islanders, meanwhile, are a team at a crossroads. It seems like they are rebuilding or at least retooling after the Noah Dobson trade. However, they still have enough talent to be in the playoff conversation, and with the right moves, they can go on a deep run.
Related: Darche Must Earn Islanders Fans Trust Back Despite Strong Draft Class
That leads to free agency, where a move or two is on the table. There are a few forwards in particular who can be great fits for the Islanders. Adding one of them can set them up for a big season ahead and possibly fit into general manager (GM) Mathieu Darche’s long-term plan and vision for this team.
Brock Boeser
The conversation around Brock Boeser is that he wants to sign with a contender, even if that means taking less or shorter than a seven-year deal. It’s why the Edmonton Oilers make sense and the Los Angeles Kings have been all over him. It also makes the Islanders a tough sell.
If Darche convinces Boeser that the Islanders are closer to contention and gives him the best offer, a deal will happen. Boeser can look at the roster and see this team as an up-and-coming one, especially after the Matthew Schaefer selection, and wants to be a key part of the transition. He can be a staple for an Islanders team that is getting young but also more competitive.
Boeser provides an immediate jolt for the Islanders. He’s a scorer on the wing who can benefit from Mathew Barzal’s passing or Bo Horvat’s play from the center position (who he formed a strong connection with on the Vancouver Canucks back in the day). Boeser’s also a great player to have around as the prospects start making their marks at the NHL level. For the Islanders, having a veteran winger for Calum Ritchie, Cole Eiserman, and Victor Eklund can go a long way.
Nikolaj Ehlers
Nikolaj Ehlers is the ultimate wild card in this free agency class. The injury history and inconsistency will have some teams avoiding him altogether. The spark he provides on the wing makes him an intriguing player to target, especially for an Islanders team looking for a top-line winger to play alongside Barzal and Horvat.
Like Boeser, Ehlers is the type of skater the Islanders can slot into the top-line role and turn their offense into one of the better ones in the NHL. When he’s on the ice, he does it all, and he’ll both create scoring chances for Horvat and find open looks on Barzal’s passes.
Ehlers isn’t the type of skater who takes over games and won’t move the needle for the Islanders, at least in the big picture. Their ceiling is a playoff berth without him, and with him, it is winning a playoff series or two but not much else. However, Ehlers is a great addition who can help the Islanders make the playoffs each season.
Marco Rossi
Marco Rossi is a restricted free agent (RFA) compared to Boeser and Ehlers, who are pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). So, for the Islanders to acquire him, they must give him an offer sheet that the Minnesota Wild are unwilling to match. The Wild have to want him as one of the core players in the forward unit.
The problem is that the Wild, who finally have the salary cap space to make a move, must extend Kirill Kaprizov, or at least make a strong attempt, knowing he heads to free agency in the 2026 offseason. If they extend Kaprizov and make another move, they’ll be willing to let Rossi leave in free agency.
He’s the type of player who fits the Darche mold for a retool. Rossi is only 23 years old, and after scoring 20 goals or more in back-to-back seasons, he’s proven he can be a regular in the top six. He’s a center who will make the prospects better, and it’s why an offer sheet to Rossi can be a sneaky move by Darche, one that catches the league by surprise and shows the GM is ready to compete with the best of them.
Do the Islanders Have the Cap Space to Make it Work?
With the Alexander Romanov contract out of the way, the Islanders have roughly $14 million in cap space to work with. They still must re-sign Simon Holmstrom, Maxim Tsyplakov, and Emil Heinaman, their three RFA skaters. That said, the Islanders should have enough space to make a big move.
The question is whether Darche wants to make a significant signing or not. He’s proven a willingness to roll the dice and make a big move, with the Dobson trade being a case in point. The question is whether he wants to keep the Islanders competitive or lean into the retool.
Who do you see the Islanders signing in free agency? Let us know in the comments section below!
