The New York Islanders’ offseason seems all but wrapped up. While general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello can still make a big move and possibly acquire Alex DeBrincat, his primary task was completed this summer. He stressed the importance of re-signing his unrestricted free agents (UFAs), and he did that on day one of free agency.
Related: 2023 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Lamoriello re-signed Pierre Engvall, Scott Mayfield, and Semyon Varlamov, keeping the roster intact from last season. All three contracts have multiple years attached to them. Considering the roles that the players will have on the team next year and in the long run, some of these deals are better than others. Here’s a look at the Islanders’ three deals from worst to first.
Scott Mayfield
The Mayfield contact is the most questionable of the group, as he signed a seven-year deal worth $3.5 million per year. A four-year contract would have been questionable but understandable for an aging defenseman since he is a key part of the roster, but Lamoriello signed Mayfield, who will turn 31 years old early next season, for seven years.
Mayfield has been an integral part of the defense and one of the reasons the Islanders have allowed under 2.82 goals per game in each of the past five seasons. However, his age is a concern as he’ll be 37 when the contract expires. To be fair, his skillset – shot-blocking and gap-sound defense – is one that ages well. Alec Martinez, at 35, is an older defenseman, but he has similar traits and played a big part in the Vegas Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup title run. However, Mayfield’s speed will decline, and in a fast-paced league, he could become a liability.
Mayfield also lacks a two-way presence, setting the Islanders back in a league where scoring from the point is pivotal to success, especially in the playoffs. In the First Round of the 2023 Playoffs, the team was outmatched by the Carolina Hurricanes, and one of the notable gaps was scoring from the point. The Hurricanes’ defense could open up the offense, which helped them win the series in six games.
The Islanders also had reinforcements ready in case Mayfield left in free agency. Last season, Robin Salo and Samuel Bolduc showed that they can step up and are ready to play at the NHL level. At the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Lamoriello selected Calle Odelius in the second round and Isiah George in the fourth round, indicating that there was a long-term plan to add depth on defense. The Islanders now have six defensemen under contract for the next two seasons and three under contract for the next six years, which leaves no room for a younger player to join the roster.
With the Mayfield deal, the Islanders are locked into a tough contract. In the first few seasons, Mayfield will make the deal worthwhile, but ultimately, this signing will backfire and set the team back. The Islanders already have an older, aging roster, and this deal doesn’t help.
Semyon Varlamov
This contract is a mixed bag. On one hand, the Islanders will keep their goaltending duo together. Varlamov is older and only starts 20 games a season, while Ilya Sorokin will take on most of the workload, making the deal worthwhile. On the other hand, Varlamov, who is 35, was given a four-year deal.
The Islanders had plenty of options for a viable backup goaltender at a cheaper price. Magnus Hellberg, David Rittich, Alex Nedeljkovic, Laurent Brossoit, Alex Lyon, Collin Delia, and Cam Talbot were all signed to one-year deals under $2 million. Lamoriello could have given any of these goaltenders a two-year deal under $2 million to play behind Sorokin. Instead, he chose to sign Varlamov to a long-term deal that could give the team cap issues down the road.
The contract won’t look bad in the first two years, as Varlamov will still be playing at a high level, but the deal will backfire after that. Varlamov will be 39 by the time the contract ends and won’t be able to be a reliable backup. He’ll probably only start a handful of games, not 22 like he did last season.
The biggest plus side to this contract is that it gives the Islanders time to find a long-term backup. For the next four years, Lamoriello can search for a younger goaltender to add to the prospect pool and develop into an NHL-level player. Even if Varlamov declines, the Islanders could replace him and find Sorokin’s next backup.
Pierre Engvall
The Engvall deal was the best of the bunch, as he was given a seven-year contract that costs only $3 million per year. It’s another seven-year deal that the team is locked into, but unlike Mayfield, Engvall is only 27 years old. When his contract expires, he’ll still be playing well and contributing to the offense.
Engvall is a particularly valuable part of the forward unit because of his skills and the role he plays. Since he was acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, he has become a key part of the offense. In only 18 regular-season games, he scored five goals and four assists. He has a great shot and thrives alongside Kyle Palmieri as the duo provides the Islanders with two sharpshooters on the ice at the same time.
In the upcoming seasons, Engvall will be a depth scorer who can add 15 goals or more every season, which the team needs. The Islanders need scoring from their second and third lines; they’ve averaged under 3.00 goals per game in each of the past five seasons. Engvall’s presence will help the offense improve and possibly eclipse the 3.00 goal-per-game mark next year.
What makes the Engvall deal great is the value. He’s earning $3 million per year for the next seven years, giving the Islanders salary cap flexibility moving forward. Mayfield and Varlamov were also signed to team-friendly deals, with both contracts under $3.5 million per year, but Engvall will be a key part of the roster for years to come, and this contract locks up a core part of a contending roster.
Ranking The Other Offseason Signings
Before the UFAs were re-signed Lamoriello signed two players to extensions earlier in the offseason. Bolduc was extended for two years at $800,000 per year. He has shown flashes, playing 17 games last season, but with the Mayfield signing, he might not see the ice a lot. Unless the Islanders’ defense is plagued with injuries, Bolduc will spend two years on the bench or in the American Hockey League (AHL) waiting for his time to shine.
The extension that looks good is Hudson Fasching’s, who signed for two years at $775,000 per year. Fasching was a pleasant surprise last season, and he established himself as a great defensive forward, contributing 1.1 defensive point shares despite averaging only 12:29 ice time. With the fourth line aging, he can take on that role next year and become one of the better checking forwards on the team.
Then there was the Sorokin extension, which is the best deal Lamoriello has made this summer. The Islanders locked up a Vezina Trophy-caliber goaltender for the next eight years at $8.25 million per year. It’s a high price tag but worth it for one of the elite goaltenders in the league. Sorokin helped the team reach the playoffs last season, and he makes the team competitive on a nightly basis.
Lamoriello kept the core together with the deals he gave out this offseason. Now, the question is whether he is done for the summer. Will he make a blockbuster trade or simply stay quiet as he’s done in previous offseasons? With Debrincat and William Nylander on the table for a trade, a move could happen.
