Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
New York Islanders
Current Cap Hit: $84,906,199 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Simon Holmstrom (one year, $863K)
After a quiet rookie year, Holmstrom has become a shorthanded scoring specialist this season, being among the league leaders in that department. Even so, he is primarily deployed in a bottom-six role which will limit his earnings upside. A bridge deal seems quite likely although he could push his way toward the $1.5MM mark if he can keep up his current pace.
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
D Sebastian Aho ($825K, UFA)
D Robert Bortuzzo ($950K, UFA)
F Cal Clutterbuck ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Matt Martin ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($1MM, UFA)
After an injury-riddled 2022-23 campaign, Clutterbuck has managed to stay healthy this season and play a bigger role than many expected. Still, he’s 36 with a lot of physical games under his belt. In theory, he should be looking at a dip in pay but GM Lou Lamoriello has gone to painstaking lengths to keep his fourth line together so it’s hard to rule out the possibility of another deal like this one. Martin’s injury issues should limit his mark but again, a lower-cost extension heading into his age-35 year is likely an option at least being considered.
Reilly has fared pretty well since coming over on a waiver claim from Florida. Given his limited NHL time the last couple of seasons though, it’s hard to foresee a big raise coming his way. Perhaps something closer to $1.5MM if he keeps up his current production in the second half but for him, securing a multi-year agreement might be more of a priority. Bortuzzo was brought in to cover some minutes in the wake of the injuries on the back end but is likely looking at something near the minimum if he wants to play a 14th NHL season. Aho has established himself as a regular over the last couple of seasons and showed a bit of offensive upside last year. That should push him into the $1.5MM range on a multi-year deal; he should have a few suitors on the open market.
Signed Through 2024-25
D Noah Dobson ($4MM, RFA)
F Hudson Fasching ($775K, UFA)
F Julien Gauthier ($787.5K, UFA)
F Brock Nelson ($6MM, UFA)
F Kyle Palmieri ($5MM, UFA)
D Alexander Romanov ($2.5MM, RFA)
Nelson has had somewhat of a career resurgence in recent years, putting up his best two years in the last two seasons and is hovering near a 70-point pace again this season. That makes him a bit of a bargain, a thought that didn’t seem as likely when this contract was first signed. If he can hold this pace over the next year and a half, another small jump could be doable on a shorter-term agreement.
Adding Palmieri made sense to try to add to New York’s offense in 2021 but it’s fair to say that he has underwhelmed on that front since being acquired. He’s getting paid more at the level of a 45-point player and injuries have stopped him from getting more than 33 in a single season yet. It’s not a crippling overpayment but he’s going to need to do more if he wants to get this much on the open market in 2025. Gauthier and Fasching are end-of-roster players that, at this point, appear likely to remain around the minimum salary moving forward.
When the Islanders opted to use their leverage to get Dobson to take a bridge deal, it was one that it looked like he’d outperform fairly quickly. It’s safe to say that has happened and then some. After putting up 100 points over the last two seasons, the 24-year-old is now around the point-per-game mark, making him one of the top-scoring blueliners in the NHL. We know point producers get paid but add his strong two-way play to his output and New York has a player primed for a hefty increase in salary. At this point, with Dobson having arbitration rights, it’s looking like the question won’t be if he’ll double his current AAV but rather by how much more it’ll go up beyond that.
Romanov was another player who was more or less forced into a bridge contract with their cap situation at the time. The 24-year-old has been a consistent presence on the second pairing over the last few years but doesn’t have the offensive numbers to push him into the higher-paid tier of defenders. Still, a long-term agreement that buys out some UFA eligibility should go past the $4MM mark.
Signed Through 2025-26
F Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($5MM, UFA)
F Anders Lee ($7MM, UFA)
Lee has been an impactful power forward for most of his time with the Isles but is starting to show signs of slowing down. He’ll be 36 when this deal is up and his next contract, if there is one, will likely be half of this one or less. Pageau, meanwhile, has been a steady middle-six center over the past several years although his production has dipped this season as well. If he’s trending toward being more of a true third liner at this point, this deal will become an overpayment fairly quickly. He’ll be 34 when this contract is up and he’ll likely be heading for a fair-sized dip in pay as well.
Casey Cizikas Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury
The New York Islanders have announced that fourth-line center Casey Cizikas is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
According to the New York Post’s Ethan Sears, the Islanders are trying out “completely different” forward lines in the aftermath of this injury. Cizikas is normally entrenched as the team’s fourth-line center, on an “identity line” with Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck. Jean-Gabriel Pageau has now taken on that role in his absence, while star forward Mat Barzal has shifted from Bo Horvat‘s wing to Pageau’s old spot at third-line center, among other changes.
Cizikas played in the Islanders’ last game, but was knocked out of the contest after just four minutes of time on the ice. The 32-year-old veteran of nearly 800 games has scored 11 points in 39 contests this season. He’s most valued on Long Island for his work ethic and defensive abilities.
He’s the team’s leading penalty killer at the forward position, meaning the Islanders will need another center (likely Horvat, since Pageau is already a regular penalty killer) to step up and fill in some of those short-handed minutes left behind by Cizikas.
Adam Pelech Set To Return Tonight
- Heading a few miles east of the Rangers, the New York Islanders will see the reinforcement of Adam Pelech tonight, as Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports that the defenseman will make his return to the ice after missing the last 20 games. With additional injuries on the blue line, the addition of Pelech back into the lineup should give a major boost to the Islanders’ defensive core, as he has historically been one of the best defenders in the organization. Through 16 games so far this season, Pelech has tallied three assists, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game.
[SOURCE LINK]
Pelech Getting Close To Return, Varlamov Day-To-Day
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced they will healthy scratching veteran forward Cam Atkinson tonight when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets. The long-time former Blue Jacket had a terrific start to the year in Philadelphia and has eight goals and 10 assists on the season in 37 games. However, he has struggled as of late with just three assists in his last 17 games and no goals in his last 22 games.
The Flyers also announced that young center Morgan Frost will be a healthy scratch. Frost set career highs last season with 19 goals and 27 assists in 81 games but is on pace for just 33 points this season. The 24-year-old has been far less physical this season and has been somewhat sheltered as he’s seen over 70 percent of his shifts start in the offensive zone. Frost has run very hot and cold this season as he started the year pointless in his first six games before rallying for four points in his next three games. His season has been a cycle of putting up points in bunches and then disappearing from the scoresheet for an extended period.
Both players are unlikely to be held out of the lineup for too long as the club is likely being sent a message by head coach John Tortorella after dropping five of their last six games.
In other Metropolitan Notes:
- Stefan Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that defenseman Adam Pelech of the New York Islanders is getting closer to returning from injury. Pelech has been out of the Islanders lineup since November 24th when he suffered an upper-body injury in a game against the Ottawa Senators. The Toronto, Ontario native struggled to start the year, registering just three assists in his first 16 games while struggling at 5 on 5. He started to put together a stretch of good games leading up to the injury, but unfortunately, he was forced out of the lineup just as he was trending upward.
- Stefan Rosner is also reporting that Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov is dealing with a lower-body injury and will be out day-to-day. According to Rosner, Varlamov will remain with the team on the Islanders’ road trip but will likely not play in the coming days. Varlamov had been dealing with an undisclosed injury late in December and sat out a game on December 29th against the Washington Capitals.
Islanders Place Robert Bortuzzo On IR, Recall Ken Appleby
The New York Islanders are facing a pair of injuries after Robert Bortuzzo and Semyon Varlamov left the team’s Tuesday night matchup early. Bortuzzo has been moved to injured reserve and the team has used an emergency recall on Ken Appleby, with Varlamov expected to miss time.
New York traded for Bortuzzo in early-December amid injuries to Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech, and Scott Mayfield. And while Pulock and Pelech remain sidelined, Mayfield has returned, continuing the revolving door of injuries to Islanders defensemen. Bortuzzo is the only defender on the team to not record a point yet this year, with the only changes to his stat line being 19 penalty minutes and a -1 across 15 games with the Islanders and Blues.
As if matters couldn’t get worse for the battered Islanders’ back-end, they are now without their dazzling backup goaltender as well. Varlamov has been fantastic in his limited minutes this season, recording a .918 save percentage and 6-4-2 record across 14 appearances. Varlamov has recorded a save percentage above .910 in all four of his previous seasons with the Islanders. He’ll be replaced by Appleby, a nine-year veteran of the minor leagues. Appleby’s only prior NHL experience came in the 2017-18 season, when he appeared in three games with the New Jersey Devils, recording an 0-1 record and allowing three goals on 55 shots. He’s since served as a AHL depth option and ECHL starter, though he’s found his way into the backup role for the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season. Appleby has had a modest showing in the expanded role, setting a 5-5-0 record and .897 save percentage in 11 games.
Scott Mayfield Activated Off IR
It appears as if the Islanders will be welcoming back a key part of their back end tonight against Pittsburgh. The team announced (Twitter link) that Scott Mayfield has been activated from injured reserve. The 31-year-old has missed close to three weeks with an upper-body injury. Before that, he was off to a bit of a quieter start to his season with just four assists in 20 games while his playing time was down to 19:13 per game, his lowest since the 2018-19 campaign. Mayfield was, however, blocking nearly three shots a night, the best rate of his career. With both Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock still injured, getting Mayfield back will be a nice boost to their back end.
Islanders Place Ryan Pulock On LTIR, Assign Ken Appleby To AHL
The Islanders have made a pair of roster moves in advance of tomorrow’s game against Pittsburgh. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve moved defenseman Ryan Pulock to LTIR and assigned goaltender Ken Appleby to AHL Bridgeport.
Pulock has been out with a lower-body injury since December 8th, meaning he has already missed the majority of the 10 games and 24 days that he’s required to be out for with this placement; he’d be eligible to be activated as soon as Tuesday’s game in Colorado. The fact they’re going this route suggests he should be out at least a little longer than that.
While Pulock’s placement doesn’t open up a roster spot, it does expand their LTIR pool, giving GM Lou Lamoriello more short-term flexibility to manage his roster without having to be worried about salary cap considerations.
As for Appleby, he has been back and forth from Bridgeport in recent days with Semyon Varlamov missing the last couple of games with an undisclosed injury. His demotion opens up a roster spot and if Varlamov is good to at least dress as the backup for tomorrow’s game, the Islanders will likely look to bring a defenseman up from the AHL as they’ve been carrying just six in recent days.
Islanders Recall Ken Appleby Under Emergency Conditions
6:00 PM: Appleby’s stint with Bridgeport was short-lived as Rosner notes that Appleby is back up and serving as the second-stringer once again tonight.
Dec. 29, 7:31 AM: Appleby was evidently returned to Bridgeport on Friday morning, as he is no longer listed on the Islanders’ roster on the NHL media site (via The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner). As such, Varlamov is likely healthy enough to dress for today’s game.
Dec. 28: The Islanders recalled netminder Ken Appleby from AHL Bridgeport under emergency conditions on Thursday. Semyon Varlamov, who made six saves on seven shots in relief of Ilya Sorokin in last night’s 7-0 loss to the Penguins, did not practice with the team today for maintenance purposes. His status for Friday’s game against the Capitals is uncertain.
The team also assigned defenseman Grant Hutton to Bridgeport, which will likely be reversed tomorrow. Hutton is the team’s seventh defenseman for the time being, as Scott Mayfield, Adam Pelech, and Ryan Pulock are all on injured reserve. The Islanders have been returning him to Bridgeport on off-days to reduce his time spent on the roster and draw out his waiver-exempt status as long as possible.
Appleby has three NHL games to his name, all coming with the Devils in January 2018. Now 28 years old, Appleby stopped 52 of 55 shots faced for a .945 SV% across one start and two relief appearances.
The undrafted free agent has spent time in both the AHL and ECHL since. After making his debut with the Devils, Appleby spent one season under contract with the Jets before spending the entire 2019-10 campaign in the ECHL with the Florida Everblades. He put his name back on the NHL radar there, posting a .913 SV% in 42 games before the league paused operations in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He parlayed that performance into a two-way contract with the Islanders signed near the end of the 2020-21 campaign, where he’s remained since. Now in his fourth season, Appleby has primarily been the team’s fifth-string goalie behind Sorokin, Varlamov, Cory Schneider, and Jakub Škarek, resulting in most of his playing time coming with the Islanders’ ECHL affiliate in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Appleby has been upgraded to full-time AHL status in 2023-24 with Schneider no longer in the organization, serving as Škarek’s backup and posting a .898 SV% in ten games. While the younger Škarek has received more starts in Bridgeport, he’s been the worse statistical netminder, posting a difficult-to-swallow 3-13-2 record and .877 SV%.
The 6-foot-4 Ontarian is in the final season of a two-year, two-way extension, earning him $130K in guaranteed salary this year. He will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
Metropolitan Notes: Pacioretty, Bear, Cizikas, Lazar, Penguins
5:30 PM: Curtis Lazar has been declared ‘out’ for Friday.
5:00 PM: The Washington Capitals will have to wait a little longer for the highly-anticipated debuts of newcomers Max Pacioretty and Ethan Bear, with both players set to sit out of the team’s Friday night game. Both players signed with the Capitals during their recovery from injury, with Pacioretty coming back from his second Achille’s tendon tear and Bear recovering from a shoulder surgery required after taking a big hit during the 2023 World Championships.
Pacioretty joined Washington this summer, signing a one-year, $2MM contract with the club on July 1st. Pacioretty only appeared in five games last season, although he did manage three goals. His 2021-22 season didn’t last for much longer, only seeing 39 games and 37 points. We have to go back to the 2019-20 season to find the last year that Pacioretty appeared in 50 or more regular season games. That year was his second with the Vegas Golden Knights and saw the 855-game veteran record 32 goals and 66 points in 71 games.
Bear’s injury struggles haven’t been as long-running, with the defender managing 61 games with the Vancouver Canucks last season. He scored 16 points through that stretch, marking the second-most points he’s scored in his career, behind his 2019-20 season which saw him net 21 points in 71 games with the Edmonton Oilers. Washington will become the fourth organization that Bear has been apart of through his five-year NHL career, which has been split evenly between two Pacific Division and two Metropolitan Division teams.
Other Metropolitan Division Notes:
- Casey Cizikas (illness) is listed as a game-time decision for the New York Islanders’ Friday night matchup against the Washington Capitals. Czikas was a full participant at the team’s morning practice, suggesting he’s trending in the right direction. The 32-year-old forward has played in 34 games with New York this season, recording 10 points and 14 penalty minutes.
- Curtis Lazar is also a game-time decision, with New Jersey Devils head coach saying the team will see how Lazar feels after the team’s morning practice before making a call on his availability. Lazar has appeared in 30 games this season, netting four goals and 10 points. The Devils’ Friday night game will also mark Kevin Bahl’s 100th NHL game, with the young defender inviting his billet family to the bout with the Ottawa Senators.
- Bryan Rust and Jesse Puljujarvi are both trending in the right direction, skating as full participants at the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Friday practice. Rust is currently on injured reserve and is eligible to return on January 2nd, while Puljujarvi is still waiting for his first NHL game since undergoing double hip surgery. Matthew Nieto and Radim Zohorna missed the team’s practice, with Zahorna left at home due to illness.
Islanders Expected To Recall Grant Hutton
- Defenseman Grant Hutton was a participant at the Islanders’ morning skate Wednesday, suggesting the team has recalled him from AHL Bridgeport, per Newsday’s Andrew Gross. This is Hutton’s seventh recall since American Thanksgiving despite playing only two NHL contests. The Islanders have been keeping him in the minors as much as possible to extend his waiver-exempt clock, allowing them to keep him on the roster as their seventh defenseman on game days. Their ability to freely move him between leagues is coming to an end soon, though, as the 28-year-old can remain on the NHL roster for six more days until he requires waivers again to head to Bridgeport.
- Former AHL All-Star forward Tanner Fritz has left the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, the club he has played almost all of his pro career with, to sign a two-year deal with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk. Filling the forward spot opened by Fritz’s departure, Bridgeport recalled forward Jake Pivonka from their ECHL affiliate, the Worcester Railers. The Islanders originally signed Fritz as an undrafted college free agent out of Ohio State University, and he worked his way into the AHL by scoring 33 points in 43 games with the Islanders’ ECHL affiliate, the Kansas City Mavericks. Fritz ranks seventh all-time in points for Bridgeport, and will now head to a Minsk team that already boasts import talent such as Nick Merkley, Brett Ritchie, and Sam Anas. He’s going to attempt to aid Minsk’s offensive attack, a unit that has struggled this season as the team sits firmly outside of legitimate Gagarin Cup contention.