Semyon Varlamov Expected To Stay With New York Islanders
Per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes, netminder Semyon Varlamov is staying with the New York Islanders after briefly appearing on the free agent market this morning. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports it’s a two-year deal. Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reports that the final contract will be a four-year, $11MM contract, paying Varlamov an AAV of $2.75MM per year.
The 35-year-old has spent the past four seasons with New York, originally serving as their starting goaltender before Ilya Sorokin took over the number one role. Now, he’ll serve as an above-average backup to his countryman who signed an eight-year, $66MM extension earlier today. Last season, Varlamov played in 23 games for the Isles, posting a 2.70 GAA with a .913 SV%, numbers that are right in line with his career averages of 2.65 and .916 respectively and are above average for the backup role.
That said, while New York should benefit from an above-average backup for a little while longer, the four-year term certainly raises some eyebrows. The exact structure of the deal is not yet known so it’s unknown if this is a deal that will carry the more punitive 35+ restrictions. And, by the time his contract ends, he’ll be one of the oldest netminders in the league so this is a bit of a leap of faith from the Islanders. However, it allows them to keep a strong tandem intact for the time being, one that they’ll need to lean on as they look to push for a top-three seed in the Metropolitan Division next season.
Has Scott Mayfield Already Re-Signed?
While veteran defenseman Scott Mayfield is officially set to hit the open market today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman notes that one potential team with interest in him already believes he has agreed to terms on a new deal with the Islanders. In recent years, GM Lou Lamoriello has been a proponent of not announcing contracts when they’re agreed upon, waiting until closer to training camp to make them all official. If that is indeed the case here, we might be waiting a while to see what type of raise the 30-year-old will be getting. Mayfield is rated 17th on our Top 50 UFA list following a career year that saw him collect 24 points while logging over 21 minutes a night for the first time.
New York Islanders Still Engaged In Contract Talks With Scott Mayfield
- As the Saturday deadline looms, the New York Islanders are actively negotiating with defenseman Scott Mayfield‘s representatives in an effort to secure a contract extension before he becomes a UFA, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic says. Mayfield, who recorded a career-high 24 points this season, is likely to earn a significant raise on his current $1.45MM cap hit. Now 30, the 6-foot-5 Mayfield is still a very effective two-way defender who doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game, also incurring a career-high 83 penalty minutes in 2022-23.
Chicago Blackhawks Acquire, Buy Out Josh Bailey
11:10 AM: Per The Athletic’s Scott Powers, the Blackhawks are going to buy out Bailey, which is a bit of a surprise move. The Blackhawks will be reducing their cap obligation to $2.66MM this season instead of $5MM, at a cost of a $1.16MM cap hit next season.
9:50 AM: The New York Islanders have parted ways with their longest-tenured player, trading forward Josh Bailey and a 2026 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations.
In a pure cap dump deal, the Islanders have essentially traded a future second-round for an immediate $5MM in cap space. Bailey had been a consistent middle-six threat for the Islanders throughout a 15-year career there, but after just eight goals and 25 points in 64 games this season and multiple healthy scratches, both the player and organization felt it was time to move on.
Once a high-end playmaker, Chicago is still getting a player that might be effective in their current situation. Bailey was a well-respected leader in the Islanders’ room and has made it to multiple Eastern Conference Finals. Alongside Nick Foligno and Taylor Hall, Chicago is quickly putting together an ancillary group of some veteran skill and leadership to surround yesterday’s first overall pick, Connor Bedard.
It’s worth noting that a buyout for Bailey was rather palatable. Per CapFriendly, buying out the final season of Bailey’s six-year, $30MM contract would have cost them $2.67MM this season, providing $2.33M in savings. It would have cost them $1.167MM against the cap in 2024-25. Instead, they cut ties entirely, although it’s for the cost of a decent draft pick.
This is Chicago’s second significant move to weaponize cap space in the last few days, acquiring Hall and Foligno from the Boston Bruins for a pair of minor-league defensemen.
It’s the end of an era for the Islanders, who selected Bailey with the ninth overall pick in 2008. He would go on to play 1,057 games as an Islander, ranking third in franchise history behind Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin. In that time, Bailey recorded 184 goals and 580 points.
The Islanders now have close to $10MM in projected cap space, per CapFriendly, which could go to re-signing their quartet of notable UFAs in Pierre Engvall, Zach Parise, Scott Mayfield, and Semyon Varlamov.
Islanders Could Retain Semyon Varlamov On Two-Year Deal
It’s hard to claim Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry had a disappointing season. After being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in a swap for defenseman Mike Matheson, Petry improved on his offensive totals from the season prior, recording 31 points in 61 games, and he still managed to average over 22 minutes per game. His defensive impacts were also in line with what we’ve come to expect from the veteran defender.
However, the Penguins were hoping for a resurgence to his 2020-21 form, which saw him finish 13th in Norris Trophy voting. It didn’t happen, and with interim general manager Kyle Dubas now at the helm, Petry finds himself on the trade block again after just one season in Pittsburgh, confirms The Athletic’s Rob Rossi. The market for right-shot defenders is generally strong, but with Petry locked in at a $6.25MM cap hit until 2025 and a potentially significant decline coming at any moment, Rossi says there aren’t many quality offers out there for his services.
More from the Eastern Conference rumor cycle today:
- Expect veteran netminder Semyon Varlamov to end up back on Long Island, says the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. The 35-year-old will likely sign a two-year deal, during which he’ll reprise his backup role to countryman Ilya Sorokin. After posting a save percentage north of .910 for four straight seasons, Varlamov would have been one of the better goaltending options available on the free agent market, especially for a team looking to solidify their backup position.
- The New Jersey Devils don’t have a ton of cap space after announcing a max-length extension for Timo Meier, and as expected, they won’t be making any other major re-signings before free agency opens on Saturday. Defenseman Ryan Graves and forwards Tomas Tatar and Miles Wood are going to test the open market, general manager Tom Fitzgerald confirmed today. Per CapFriendly, the team has around $10.2MM in space but needs to re-sign a quartet of restricted free agents and potentially add a goalie to complement Vitek Vanecek.
Zach Parise Undecided On Playing Future
A lot of people thought Zach Parise‘s career was over a few years ago. In 2020-21, he scored just seven goals in 45 games for the Minnesota Wild, found himself on the fourth line or in the press box, and was bought out at the end of the season. He was turning 37 and would earn a paycheck from the Wild through 2028-29—what better situation to sail off into the sunset.
Except, he wasn’t done. Parise would join his old general manager Lou Lamoriello with the New York Islanders and experience something of a renaissance. This past season he scored 21 goals, the 11th time in his career he scored at least that many. Now, instead of assuming his career is over, people are asking whether he’s returning to the Islanders for another go.
A month before his 39th birthday, Parise still isn’t sure. Andrew Gross of Newsday reports that the veteran forward is undecided on his playing future, meaning the Islanders must wait before any negotiations can happen.
After his one-year, bonus-laden deal expires, Parise is about to become an unrestricted free agent again. He had an initial $750K cap hit last season but earned another $750K in bonus money for staying healthy. That kind of a deal would be expected again if he decides to return, and likely only with the Islanders.
If it is the end, Parise’s two seasons with New York are a nice capstone on a fantastic career. Selected 17th overall by Lamoriello and the New Jersey Devils in 2003, he has played 1,224 regular season games, scored 429 goals, and recorded 879 points.
New York Islanders Sign Samuel Bolduc
The New York Islanders have avoided a restricted free agent negotiation, signing Samuel Bolduc to a two-year contract extension. CapFriendly reports it is a one-way contract worth $800K in both seasons.
Bolduc, 22, was selected 57th overall in 2019 and after parts of three seasons in the minor leagues, made his NHL debut this year. Entering the Islanders lineup in January, he played 17 games, registering two goals and three points while averaging just over 14 minutes a night.
While it wasn’t a significant role, the young defenseman did enough to prove his worth and was called upon twice in the Islanders’ first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Now, with a two-year deal in hand, he’ll try to solidify a more permanent role on the team’s roster.
The deal leaves Oliver Wahlstrom as the only significant RFA remaining for the Islanders as free agency nears. Bolduc’s deal will serve as a bridge, of sorts, taking him to arbitration-eligible restricted free agency in 2025.
With Scott Mayfield scheduled for unrestricted free agency, there could be some minutes to go around in New York next season. Where exactly Bolduc fits into the puzzle isn’t clear, but he won’t have to worry about job security for another couple of years.
NHL Announces 2023 King Clancy Trophy Finalists
In just under three weeks from today, the 2023 NHL Awards show will take place at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators. Most of the award finalists have been announced up to this point, however; there are still some to get through.
This afternoon, the NHL announced the three finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually awarded to the player that “best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community“. This season, the three finalists will be Mikael Backlund (Calgary Flames), Anders Lee (New York Islanders), and Darnell Nurse (Edmonton Oilers).
As in the description, this award is heavily weighted in humanitarian work off the ice, and these three players have no shortage of that. In Backlund’s case, he and his wife have raised over $400K for the ALS Society of Alberta, a disease that his wife’s mother passed away from. Aside from that, Backlund has also been heavily involved with The Kids Cancer Care, Special Olympics Calgary, and Parachutes for Pets.
For Lee, the current captain of the Islanders, the veteran forward has become involved with a non-profit called “Jam Kancer in the Kan”, which is dedicated to helping families and children dealing with cancer. Since Lee’s involvement, the company has raised well over $2MM for families dealing with the disease. Additionally, Lee has been helping college students with academic scholarships over the last several years.
Nurse’s involvement with the community has been primarily focused on diversity and inclusion in athletics. Working for “Free Play for Kids”, Nurse has helped underprivileged communities in Canada gain access to sports in a safe and accessible way. Nurse also has a scholarship of his own, setting up the Excellence Scholarship in 2021, which is given to two students pursuing post-secondary education, annually.
Regardless of who wins this award, these three players, among others, have helped their communities in pretty incredible ways. The winner will receive a $25K donation to a charity of their choice, while the other two finalists will receive a $5K donation each.
New York Islanders Sign Eetu Liukas
The New York Islanders have signed forward Eetu Liukas to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced today. PuckPedia reports his contract carries a cap hit of $867,500 with the following breakdown in all three seasons: $775,000 base salary, $92,500 signing bonus, $57,500 games played bonus, and a minors salary of $80,000.
One of the few power forward prospects in the league, Liukas never shies away from physical play and, at age 20, already stands at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. The Islanders selected him in the fifth round, 157th overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Last season was Liukas’ second full pro season, spent with Liiga club HPK after many years with the TPS organization. He recorded the first double-digit goal total of his pro career, scoring 14 goals and 23 points in 58 games while also leading the league in penalty minutes with 104.
Internationally, Liukas suited up for Finland at the 2022 Men’s World Juniors, logging two assists in six appearances.
In 2021, Elite Prospects described Liukas as playing a “physical north-south game, and [he] takes to his role with a great deal of enthusiasm. He’s never seen an opportunity to play the body that was too good to pass up. He’s got a pretty heavy shot, too; his one-timer, in particular, does serious damage.”
Liukas was under contract with HPK for next season. It’s unclear whether the Islanders will bring him over to play with their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport in 2023-24 or loan him back to Finland.
Islanders Notes: Bailey, Coaching Staff, Free Agents, Injury Updates
Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello met with the media today (video link) and provided updates on several things while also confirming that he is under contract, though he declined to state for how long. Here are some of the updates from his presser.
- Speaking about veteran winger Josh Bailey, Lamoriello indicated that “In Josh’s case, it looks like, maybe it’s near the end here.” The 33-year-old had a rough showing this season, notching just eight goals and 17 assists in 64 games, resulting in him being a healthy scratch at times. Bailey still has one year left on his contract with a $5MM AAV, one that would require New York to provide an incentive for another team to take on. A buyout, meanwhile, would save around $2.33MM on the cap for next season while adding $1.167MM in dead space for 2024-25.
- Lamoriello also confirmed that head coach Lane Lambert would be back for his second season behind the bench. The team was eliminated in the first round by Carolina and didn’t take as big of a step forward offensively as expected; the team scored just 12 more goals than they did under the defensive-minded Barry Trotz. However, Lamoriello wouldn’t confirm that the full coaching staff would be back for next year, stating “that’s not something that I can assert to at this point”. John MacLean and Doug Houda were the lead assistants this season for the Isles.
- Lamoriello indicated that he’d like to re-sign pending UFA defenseman Scott Mayfield, goaltender Semyon Varlamov, and forward Pierre Engvall. Mayfield has become a steady top-four blueliner and should more than double the $1.45MM AAV from his expiring deal. Varlamov played in just 23 games this season, his fewest games played total since getting a brief stint in his rookie year in 2008-09. He’s coming off a $5MM contract and will be facing a likely cut in pay, especially if he wants to remain in New York. Engvall, meanwhile, came over at the trade deadline from Toronto and picked up nine points in 18 games following the swap. He’s coming off a $2.25MM contract and should be in line for more than that on the open market. With the Islanders having a little over $5MM in cap space per CapFriendly, they have some work to do if they want to bring those three back.
- As for Zach Parise, another pending UFA, Lamoriello mentioned he’d also like to bring him back but the veteran first needs to decide if he’s going to play again next season. The 38-year-old had a productive year with 21 goals but after 18 NHL seasons, it’s certainly possible that he decides to call it a career.
- Lamoriello also noted that winger Oliver Wahlstrom has resumed skating as he works his way back from an ACL injury back in late December. He, along with Alexander Romanov (shoulder surgery), are both set to be ready in time for training camp.