Islanders Sign Marc Gatcomb, Fredrik Karlström
The Islanders have signed depth forwards Marc Gatcomb and Fredrik Karlström to one-year deals. Gatcomb’s is a two-way pact worth $775K in the NHL and $125K in the AHL, per PuckPedia. PuckPedia also reported Karlström’s signing as a one-way pact yesterday, but CapFriendly has his deal as a two-way worth $775K in the NHL and $250K in the minors.
It’s the first NHL contract for Gatcomb, who turns 25 later this month. That makes him slightly too old for an entry-level contract, so this is a standard two-way deal. After finishing up a four-year stint at UConn in 2022, he’s spent the last two seasons on AHL contracts with the Canucks’ affiliate in Abbotsford, where he’s totaled 12 goals, 16 assists and 28 points in 112 games. Most of that offense came this past season, recording nine goals and 20 points in 61 games.
Gatcomb’s development has been a slow climb since his freshman year at UConn in 2018-19 when he scored just one goal in 31 games. Now an everyday fixture at the second-highest level in the North American pyramid, he’ll look to take another step forward this season after he’s presumably assigned to AHL Bridgeport during training camp.
Karlström, meanwhile, does have some NHL experience to his name. The third-round pick of the Stars in 2016 made eight appearances during brief call-ups for Dallas in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, posting one assist and a +3 rating while averaging 8:18 per night. Since coming to North America three years ago, he’s spent nearly all of his time on assignment to AHL Texas, where he compiled 47 goals and 99 points in 184 games. He played in all 72 regular-season games for Texas last year and produced a career-high 21 goals and 44 points, along with a +14 rating.
He’s the more likely of the pair to see an NHL call-up this season, but both are likely slated for Bridgeport to open the campaign.
Islanders Sign Anthony Duclair, Mike Reilly
The Islanders have signed winger Anthony Duclair to a four-year deal and re-signed defenseman Mike Reilly to a one-year deal, the team said in separate announcements. Duclair’s deal carries a $3.5MM cap hit, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Duclair is reunited with head coach Patrick Roy who he played for back in junior; Roy called to recruit him to the Islanders. The 28-year-old speedster has bounced around over the years as this will be the ninth NHL organization he has played for as he enters his 11th season.
Last summer, Florida moved Duclair to San Jose in a cost-clearing move. While he rebounded a bit after a tough showing in 2022-23, he was on a Sharks team who struggled considerably from a scoring perspective although he still managed 16 goals and 11 assists in 56 games. Tampa Bay picked him up at the trade deadline and the fit was seamless as he added eight goals and seven assists in 17 contests down the stretch before adding a pair of assists in five playoff contests. He should give the Isles some more secondary scoring on the wings moving forward.
As for Reilly, he started last season with Florida after being bought out by Boston, who is still paying him $1.333MM in cash for the upcoming season. However, he was waived less than two months into the season after playing in just two games and was claimed by the Islanders who were dealing with injury issues at the time.
The change of scenery was certainly beneficial for both Reilly and the Isles. He immediately stepped into a regular role and held it for the rest of the season, picking up six goals and 18 assists along the way while logging more than 17 minutes a night. That was enough to convince GM Lou Lamoriello to keep him around at a $250K raise from the $1MM he made last season. Reilly should reprise his role on the third pairing with some secondary power play time next season.
Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin To Reach Free Agency
Speaking with the General Manager of the New York Islanders Lou Lamoriello, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that veteran forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin are expected to hit unrestricted free agency on Monday. Each player has spent more than a decade with the Islanders’ organization but the team appears headed for a different direction this summer.
Additionally, on the restricted free agent front, Gross relays that New York is prepared to qualify Oliver Wahlstrom but will also look to trade him this summer. As the 11th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, Wahlstrom may still hold some value as a change-of-scenery candidate; however, the prospects of that don’t look promising after numerous disappointing seasons with the Islanders. Over five years at the professional level, Wahlstrom has suited up in 193 games for New York but has only mustered 34 goals and 67 points over that stretch.
Even if Clutterbuck and Martin make it to the free agent market on July 1st, there isn’t a guarantee that either will leave the Islanders organization. Lamoriello has a habit of keeping his contract negotiations very close to the vest throughout his career and may wait to see how things play out after the first day. However, if New York does not retain either player, they are almost guaranteed a fourth-line role wherever they end up.
Islanders Announce Doug Houda Won’t Return
The New York Islanders have dismissed assistant coach Doug Houda, general manager Lou Lamoriello shared with Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News (Twitter link). Lamoriello added that the team will be retaining fellow assistant coaches John MacLean and Benoit Desrosiers. Lamoriello also shared that they will be announcing Houda’s replacement as soon as Monday.
Houda will be moving away from the Islanders after spending the last two seasons overseeing New York’s penalty kill. He didn’t inspire much, though, with the Islanders boasting the worst-ranked penalty kill in the league this season. It was a sharp fall from their top-10 ranking last year, and has seemingly earned Houda the boot.
Formerly a player, Houda racked up 561 career NHL games across 15 years in the league, spending extended time with the Detroit Red Wings and Buffalo Sabres. He was a heavy, high-event defender who did well in shutdown roles. That’s the mindset he’s brought to his coaching career, which kicked off one year after his retirement, when Houda joined his alma mater Rochester Americans as an assistant coach.
Houda worked his way up to the NHL after just two seasons behind an AHL bench, proceeding to spend 10 seasons on the Boston Bruins’ bench, then six years with the Detroit Red Wings, prior to his pair of seasons in New York. While he certainly didn’t accomplish what he wanted to with the Islanders, Houda’s playing career and reputation as a loyal assistant coach will likely earn him a new role quickly.
Islanders Hoping To Extend Mike Reilly
- Another product of the University of Minnesota is looking to sign a contract extension with his current team. Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports that the New York Islanders are working on an extension with defenseman Mike Reilly. After receiving little to no ice time with the Florida Panthers, Reilly was eventually claimed off waivers by the Islanders and gained the opportunity to make a significant impact. In 59 games after the waiver claim, Reilly scored six goals and 24 points in New York while also picking up some time on the powerplay. As the Islanders dealt with numerous injuries to their blue line last season, Reilly represents a capable depth option that can play in nearly any situation.
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Islanders Sign Kyle MacLean To Three-Year Extension
4:39 PM: According to CapFriendly, MacLean is expected to make $775K at the NHL level for all three years of the deal. The Islanders will have approximately $5.8MM in cap space heading into the summer months.
10:16 AM: The Islanders have agreed to a three-year extension with pending RFA forward Kyle MacLean, per a team announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed.
After spending the first three seasons of his professional career on minor-league contracts with the Isles’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, the 25-year-old inked his first NHL contract last offseason. An undrafted free agent signing by Bridgeport out of the OHL’s Oshawa Generals in 2020, MacLean earned his first NHL recall on Jan. 17 and remained on the roster for most of the rest of the campaign.
The son of Isles assistant coach John MacLean was serviceable in fourth-line minutes, posting four goals, nine points and a +5 rating in 32 regular-season games while averaging 10:05 per contest. By the time the playoffs rolled around, MacLean had worked his way into an everyday spot in the lineup, skating in all five postseason games in their first-round loss to the Hurricanes while playing nearly 12 minutes per night.
However, some advanced metrics yield cause for concern about his future effectiveness as an NHLer. MacLean struggled in the faceoff dot (42.5 FOW%), had an unsustainably high shooting percentage for a player without much of a goal-scoring history (15.4%), and controlled only 42.4% of shot attempts when on the ice at even strength despite seeing rather even defensive and offensive zone usage. He wasn’t tested on the penalty kill, either.
MacLean wasn’t afraid to lay the body, though, recording 60 hits, and was responsible with the puck when it was on his stick. He’s surely earned himself a spot on the opening night roster, as evidenced by today’s three-year commitment, but he’s likely better used as a 13th forward long-term than an everyday fourth-line center.
Head coach Patrick Roy will certainly have him in the mix for the spot entering training camp, though. A three-year deal puts him at 28 years old upon expiry in 2027, walking him to unrestricted free agency.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Islanders Could Be A Fit For Anthony Duclair
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson saw a change in his contract on June 15th, 2024, as his full no-trade clause became a modified 12-team no-trade clause (as per CapFriendly). Manson is entering the third year of his four-year $18MM contract and can now be traded to 19 NHL teams. The change in contract status doesn’t mean that the Avalanche are interested in trading the 32-year-old, but it does give the team options as they try to navigate multiple complex contract situations, while simultaneously trying to extend Jonathan Drouin and potentially address deficiencies in their roster.
Manson enjoyed a bounce-back season last year after an injury-riddled 2022-23 season, he posted eight goals and 17 assists in 76 games and continued to provide sound work in the defensive zone. He remained a good penalty killer with his long reach and mobility.
In other evening notes:
- Kevin Kurz of The Athletic tweeted that the Philadelphia Flyers remain in conversation with pending free-agent defenseman Erik Johnson. Kurz believes that the former first-overall pick intends to keep playing next season and is interested in signing with the Flyers. At 36 years of age, Johnson is not the defenseman he once was, but he can still provide physical play and take care of the defensive zone. He won’t score much, but for a team in need of a veteran in the room, re-signing Johnson might make sense for the Flyers.
- Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News believes that pending free agent forward Anthony Duclair would be a great fit with the New York Islanders. Rosner doesn’t cite any direct sources from the Islanders organization to link them to Duclair but believes the 28-year-old’s ability to play up and down the lineup would be a huge asset for the Islanders and his previous relationship with Islanders head coach Patrick Roy could factor into the equation. Roy coached Duclair for two years in his junior hockey days and Duclair speaks glowingly of him, calling Roy a mentor. Duclair posted 24 goals and 18 assists last season in 73 games and should have a lot of interest in free agency given his skillset.
Robin Salo Signs With SHL’s Malmo Redhawks
June 14: The Redhawks made Salo’s signing official today, confirming the two-year term.
June 6: Islanders pending Group VI free agent defenseman Robin Salo is heading overseas. He’s set to sign a two-year deal with the Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League, per Expressen’s Johan Svensson.
The Isles picked up Salo in the second round of the 2017 draft. The Finnish blue liner remained overseas for four seasons before coming to North America in 2021.
Now 25, Salo challenged for a major-league role out of camp the following season, and he put up a goal and four assists through his first 21 NHL games in bottom-pairing minutes. But he didn’t stick full-time, and he ended up spending most of the season on assignment to AHL Bridgeport, where he had a strong campaign with 20 points and a +1 rating in 40 games.
It’s been all downhill for the Finnish-born defender since, though. He appeared in only 11 games for the Isles in 2022-23 and saw decreased offensive output in Bridgeport, logging no goals and 14 assists in 38 games.
Salo was then placed on waivers to begin this season and never saw a call-up until serving as one of New York’s Black Aces during their first-round loss to the Hurricanes. He was still a regular on the farm with Bridgeport, though, logging five goals and 24 points in 68 games with a -19 rating.
Without much of a path to NHL time, though, it’s not surprising to see Salo return to Europe. He qualified for unrestricted free agency before his 27th birthday because he’s accumulated three North American professional seasons while playing fewer than 80 NHL games.
The left-shot defender has suited up in Sweden before, logging 36 points in 63 games with Örebro HK in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons before joining the Isles. He has a history of playing heavy minutes overseas and could very well serve in a top pairing role with the Redhawks, who also have Blackhawks prospect Jakub Galvas and Senators 2019 first-round pick Lassi Thomson on their blue line next season.
A strong two-year run in Malmö could very well earn Salo some consideration on the international free agent market in 2026. The Isles won’t hold his exclusive signing rights if he opts to return to North America, though.
Islanders Sign Jesse Nurmi To Entry-Level Deal
The Islanders signed left winger Jesse Nurmi to a three-year, entry-level contract earlier this week, per PuckPedia. His deal carries an $870K cap hit and breaks down into an NHL salary of $775K, a signing bonus of $95K, a games played bonus of $80K, and a minors salary of $82.5K each season.
The Isles picked up Nurmi’s signing rights in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. The 19-year-old has played in parts of three major-league seasons overseas, all with KooKoo of the Finnish Liiga. Since his 20th birthday doesn’t fall until next year, his deal will be eligible for an entry-level slide. His contract won’t go into effect until 2025-26 if he plays less than 10 NHL games next season.
Nurmi is still looking for his first professional goal, but he has three assists in 29 Liiga games, including a career-high 19 appearances this season. The checking winger has good speed and good offensive instincts, as evidenced by his 21 goals and 50 points in 41 junior games last season. However, despite a 6’0″ frame, he weighs only 172 lbs, so adding muscle will likely be a priority before he has a shot at making his NHL debut.
And with so little professional experience in his home country to date, Nurmi isn’t close to competing for an NHL roster spot. While he’ll collect a signing bonus from the Isles next season, he’ll likely spend the campaign on loan back to KooKoo, where he’ll have the chance to solidify himself as an everyday contributor in the pros. That will kick in his aforementioned slide and extend the expiry of his ELC to 2028.
Nurmi becomes the first member of the Isles’ most recent draft class to sign. The team’s first pick, second-round selection Danny Nelson, is coming off his freshman campaign at the University of Notre Dame and won’t sign his deal until he’s ready to turn pro.
Free Agent Focus: New York Islanders
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Islanders.
Key Restricted Free Agents
RW Simon Holmstrom – Holmstrom had a breakthrough season in 2023-24 notching 15 goals and 10 assists in 75 games while providing terrific penalty killing. However, a deeper dive into his numbers reveals that the 23-year-old had a 20.8% shooting percentage that inflated his goal total and is likely to drop significantly next season. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello has historically been a tough negotiator with younger players which will likely keep Holmstrom’s AAV down on his next deal. A bridge deal in the range of $1.25MM – $1.5MM per season seems likely for Holmstrom, who will be looking to build off a solid season.
F Kyle MacLean – MacLean will come into the 2024-25 season as one of the favorites to take over the Islanders’ fourth-line center role. The 25-year-old emerged this season from Bridgeport and proved to be a strong forechecker that forced defensemen to move the puck quickly and also provided excellent backchecking in the Islanders’ defensive zone. MacLean won’t score much, but he is strong defensively and can get around the ice to cause disruption. He seems destined to get a two or three-year bridge deal in the range of $900K – $1MM.
RW Oliver Wahlstrom – Wahlstrom had a couple of decent seasons to start his NHL career but has fallen on hard times the last two years totalling just nine goals and 13 assists in 67 games. A knee injury in 2022 has certainly played a role in him losing some of his momentum but on the ice Wahlstrom looks like a player that has lost his confidence. A change of scenery trade would greatly benefit the 23-year-old and give the Islanders an asset for a player who seems to have played his way out of favor with the franchise. The native of Portland, Maine is a former 11th overall pick, and would likely still have some value left, but the best the Islanders might get is a swap for another former first-round pick that has struggled to begin their career.
Other RFAs: D Dennis Cholowski, C Ruslan Iskhakov, F Kyle MacLean, C Reece Newkirk, RW Tyce Thompson,
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Sebastian Aho – Aho is a skilled defenseman and a good passer who has posted some good numbers in the American Hockey League. However, in the NHL Aho’s size has made it difficult for him to use that skill to his advantage as he is frequently forced into giveaways. Aho is a smart player and can chip in on a power play, however, his skill set is best suited for a bottom pairing, preferably one where his partner has some size. Aho should get a short multi-year deal with an average annual value in the range of $1.5MM to $2MM.
RW Cal Clutterbuck – Clutterbuck’s play fell off considerably last season as the Islanders were hammered in the possession department when the 36-year-old took to the ice. While he was never an analytics darling, Clutterbuck’s 37.6% CF% at even strength (as per Hockey Reference) represented a career-low and the Islanders were under attack whenever his line was deployed. Clutterbuck’s pace remains okay, and he is still a physical force, however, at this late stage of his career, he is a below-average fourth-line player. Clutterbuck will still find work this summer, but it will likely be on a one-year deal around $1MM.
F Matt Martin – Much like Clutterbuck, Martin’s play last year fell off as did his ice time. Martin’s average ice time per game dropped almost a full two minutes and when he was on the ice the results weren’t great. Martin had just four goals and four assists in 57 games and his physicality trailed off as he appeared to wear down as the season went on. It was surprising to see his play drop off so dramatically as Martin had a career year in 2022-23, but one might wonder if Father Time finally caught up with the 35-year-old. Martin is another candidate for a one-year deal in the range of $1MM.
Other UFAs: G Ken Appleby, D Robert Bortuzzo, RW Karson Kuhlman, F Otto Koivula, D Paul LaDue, F Brian Pinho, D Mike Reilly, D Robin Salo
Projected Cap Space
The Islanders are extremely limited this offseason as they have just over $6.5MM in cap space and 5-6 roster spots left to fill. The team does have several veterans they could try to move this summer to open up cap room but would likely need to retain some salary in order to facilitate a move. New York is in a tough spot that is similar to their divisional counterpart the Pittsburgh Penguins in that they are firmly committed to an expensive and aging roster. However, unlike the Penguins, there isn’t a lot of indication that the Islanders are looking to get younger and faster. The Islanders are a team that could be aggressive this summer as general manager Lamoriello tries to squeeze one more deep playoff run out of this group of veterans.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.