If New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had his way, he wouldn’t be playing anywhere else next season or beyond. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Lee would like to sign an extension with the Isles sometime before July 1st.
In the report, Rosner quoted Lee saying, “It’s where I’ve played my entire career. It’s where I’ve put my best foot forward as much as I can. I didn’t take anything for granted. I just want to have another good night tonight with the team and this group. And let’s close this out with two points.”
Even though it surely won’t be at his current $7MM price tag, there should be plenty of mutual interest from the Islanders. Lee has been New York’s captain since the 2018-19 campaign, and has remained productive in the waning years of his career, scoring 48 goals and 96 points in 163 games over the past two seasons.
Additional notes from the Islanders:
- Despite finishing the year on the Islanders’ roster, defenseman Isaiah George expects to play for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders in the Calder Cup playoffs, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. The smooth-skating blueliner has almost exclusively played for AHL Bridgeport this season, scoring two goals and 17 points in 45 games with a +10 rating.
- One defenseman who wasn’t available for New York’s final game of the regular season is Ryan Pulock. Earlier today, the Islanders announced that Pulock has been battling multiple injuries and has been held out, as there is no real reason to play him. The 31-year-old defenseman will finish the 2025-26 season with three goals and 27 points in 76 games with a +9 rating, averaging 20:49 of ice time per game.
Respectfully, please just retire
The guy has 19 goals and 42 points. Why would he retire? Maybe you are new to hockey.
The Isles absolutely need to get younger, They have been stuck in NHL obscurity for far too long. They should have gone after Jarmo Kekalainen as their new GM, Not Mathieu Darche.