East Notes: Islanders RFAs, Penguins, Lauko

After a busy stretch that included trading Noah Dobson and drafting Matthew  Schaefer first overall, the Islanders and GM Mathieu Darche have shifted their focus to free agency by extending qualifying offers to all of their pending restricted free agents, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.

The list of current pending RFAs for the Islanders includes forwards Simon Holmstrom, Emil Heineman, Maxim Tsyplakov, and Marc Gatcomb, as well as defenders Alexander Romanov and Scott Perunovich. Of note, Rosner expects Gatcomb to be back with the Islanders, whether by accepting his qualifying offer or signing a different deal.

All four forwards showcased some success last season. Homstrom, 24, posted 20 goals and 45 points last season. Holmstrom was the Islanders’ 2019 first-round selection (23rd overall) and has skated in 75 games each of the previous two seasons. Gatcomb showcased a solid scoring touch, netting eight goals in 39 NHL games (a projected 17-goal pace over 82), while Heineman chipped in 10 goals and 18 points across 62 contests, and Tsyplakov tallied 10 goals and 35 points in 77 games. And with only five defenders under contract, excluding non‑rostered players, re-signing Romanov and/or Perunovich could provide valuable depth on the blue line.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

• The Penguins may have recently announced multiple coaching hires, but the team is still looking to add one additional assistant coach, per Shelly Anderson of Pittsburgh Hockey Now. General manager Kyle Dubas recently discussed new head coach Dan Muse’s staff and confirmed the team intends to hire an assistant specifically to oversee the Penguins’ defense. Dubas also discussed the role each recently hired assistant would have next season, with Todd Nelson tasked with running the power play and Rich Clune serving as an “eye in the sky” and helping with development. Recently retired Nick Bonino will support the team with faceoffs and will learn the ins and outs of coaching, Anderson passes along.
• Boston Bruins’ restricted free agent Jakub Lauko will not receive a qualifying offer and is set to become an unrestricted free agent, his agent JP Barry told Boston Herald reporter Steve Conroy. Lauko was the team’s third-round selection in the 2018 draft and was traded last June to the Minnesota Wild. However, he was traded back to Boston on March 6 as part of a package that sent Justin Brazeau to Minnesota. He posted five goals and 11 points in 56 games last season. Through 139 NHL games, the Czech Republic native has scored 11 goals and 28 points.