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Islanders Re-Sign Travis Mitchell

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The Islanders have now re-signed the last of their unsigned defensemen as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that they have signed Travis Mitchell to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay Mitchell $775K in the NHL, $100K in the minors, and has a guaranteed salary of $125K.

The 25-year-old joined New York in 2023, signing an entry-level contract as an unrestricted free agent.  That came on the heels of a solid NCAA showing with Cornell, including a 19-point senior season in 2022-23.

Mitchell joined AHL Bridgeport soon after leaving, getting into a handful of games with them to start his professional career.  He also has spent the last two seasons in the minors with Bridgeport and is coming off a 2024-25 effort that saw him record 13 points and 101 penalty minutes in 65 games.

Mitchell will be waiver-eligible for the first time this coming season but it’s likely that he won’t be claimed, allowing him to continue his development with Bridgeport under new head coach Rocky Thompson, a former blueliner himself.  Mitchell will once again be a restricted free agent next summer.

With this agreement, the Islanders are down to one remaining RFA to re-sign, winger Maxim Tsyplakov.  He was among the list of 11 players to file for salary arbitration earlier this month with hearings set to run between July 20th and August 4th.  The hearing schedule is yet to be released so it’s unclear exactly how much time GM Mathieu Darche has to try to get the 26-year-old signed without needing to have the salary decided by an arbitrator.

Islanders Sign Victor Eklund To Entry-Level Contract

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1:42 p.m.: According to PuckPedia, Eklund will earn an NHL salary of $877.5K, an AHL salary of $85K, and a signing bonus of $97.5K each year, and up to an additional $500K in “A” performance bonuses. That’ll bring his cap hit to $975K, and his AAV up to $1.475MM.

1:30 p.m.: The New York Islanders have put pen to paper with one of their first-round selections of the 2025 NHL Draft. According to a team announcement, the Islanders have signed forward Victor Eklund to a three-year entry-level contract.

Using one of the draft selections acquired in the trade that sent defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, New York selected Eklund 16th overall. The Stockholm, Sweden native was the second-ranked European skater according to NHL Central Scouting, and was projected as a mid-first-round talent.

A teammate of Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell, Eklund is coming off an impressive season with HockeyAllsvenskan’s Djurgårdens IF. His recent campaign saw his draft stock improve slightly, as Daily Faceoff projected him as the 24th overall pick around this time last year.

Helping promote Djurgårdens IF back to the SHL after their relegation in 2021-22, Eklund scored 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games with a +16 rating. In their postseason run back to the SHL, Eklund scored an additional two goals and seven points in 18 contests, besting AIK in the SHL Qualifier Final in five games.

He’s shown first-rate talent on the international stage, particularly over the last two years. Suiting up for Sweden’s U18 and U20 teams, Eklund has scored six goals and 12 points in 14 games during his age-appropriate appearances in the IIHF World Junior Championships. Additionally, he’s tallied 16 goals and 38 points in 40 international contests (including his WJC appearances).

It’ll be an important developmental year for the recent first-round selection. Eklund will have the opportunity to play in one of the better international leagues outside of the NHL, which should legitimize his offensive capabilities should he continue his developmental arc. Being a team starved for offense, Eklund may have a one-and-done year in the SHL should he flourish.

Snapshots: Drouin, Hoefenmayer, CBA

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Winger Jonathan Drouin elaborated on what led him to sign with the New York Islanders in a Thursday night appearance on NHL Tonight. He shared that it was the makeup of the team’s offense, the coaching staff, and the Islanders’ all-around culture that led him to a move across the country this summer.

Drouin spoke specifically to each point, sharing that his relationships with winger Anthony Duclair and recent assistant coach hire Ray Bennett, and head coach Patrick Roy, all heavily influenced his decision. Drouin played against both Duclair and Roy many times during his days in the QMJHL, from 2011 to 2014. He was also coached by Bennett in each of his last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

Drouin also noted that seeing the Islanders’ honoring of Matthew Schaefer’s mother at the NHL Draft was an additional nod to how well the club treats its players. With multiple positives laid out, New York will land a winger who managed 19 goals and 56 points in 79 games in 2023-24, and 37 points in 43 games of the 2024-25 season. He missed a significant portion of the mid-season with a lower-body injury, but worked back to full health before March. He will step into a hardy, top-nine role in New York’s increasingly crowded forward group.

More notes from around the hockey world:

  • After being non-tendered by Montreal last month, unrestricted free agent defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer has signed a one-year deal with HK Sochi, per an announcement on the KHL team’s Telegram page. The 26-year-old spent time with AHL Bakersfield and Laval last season, notching 21 points in 43 regular season games while also suiting up for Canada at the Spengler Cup in December.
  • PuckPedia highlights a couple of changes of some significance in the recently released CBA Memorandum of Understanding that comes into effect for the 2026-27 season.  There is now a 10-day in-season PTO option with the signing team getting the right of first refusal if another team tries to sign that player.  Meanwhile, the post-deadline regular recall limit of four has been expanded to five, giving teams a bit more flexibility roster-wise after the trade deadline.  Our Josh Erickson will be doing a Q&A about the MOU next week; you can submit your questions for that here.

No Truth To Ilya Sorokin Trade Rumors

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Throughout the past few days, there have been several unconfirmed rumors that New York Islanders’ netminder Ilya Sorokin could be in play, particularly for the Edmonton Oilers. Those rumors were squashed earlier today when Sorokin’s agent, Dan Milstein, bluntly said that Sorokin hasn’t been involved in trade discussions and wouldn’t waive his no-movement clause.

[SOURCE LINK]

Islanders Sign Adam Beckman To One-Year Deal

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The New York Islanders have added some depth to their forward group, agreeing to a one-year, $775K contract with forward Adam Beckman, per PuckPedia. He’ll earn $150K in the minors.

Beckman, a third-round selection (75th overall) by the Minnesota Wild in the 2019 NHL Draft, flashed his potential in his last full season in the WHL with the Spokane Chiefs during the 2019-20 season, posting 107 points in 63 games. This success fast-tracked Beckman to making his NHL debut for the Wild at the age of 20 during the 2021-22 season. However, he has yet to find his offensive stride in the NHL during the limited opportunities he’s received. In 23 career games with Minnesota over parts of three seasons, he recorded no goals and three assists.

Last offseason, Beckman was dealt to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for depth forward Graeme Clarke. Beckman was then traded to the Islanders in March in exchange for defenseman Dennis Cholowski. Beckman recorded 17 goals and 40 points in 55 AHL games last season, split between the Utica Comets and Bridgeport Islanders. In 236 career AHL games, the 6’2″, 180-pound Beckman has posted 74 goals and 148 points.

Beckman, 24, also faced scrutiny last season when the AHL suspended him for 10 games in April for physical abuse of an official. As the New York Post’s Christian Arnold reported, while Beckman showed immediate remorse for the incident, he was suspended for the final five games of the regular season and is set to miss the first five games of next season.

Islanders Nearly Signed Brock Boeser

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  • Although they only came away with Jonathan Drouin to improve their offensive woes, the New York Islanders had their eyes on a bigger prize once free agency began. According to a new article from Stefen Rosner in The Elmonters, the Islanders were the highest on the list for winger Brock Boeser, if he wanted to leave Vancouver. Ultimately, although he would have been a tremendous goal-scoring asset for New York, Boeser remained with the Canucks on a new seven-year, $50.75MM deal.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning announced that they’ve hired Jeff Tambellini as their new Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations. Tambellini is a former six-year veteran of the NHL, playing for the Islanders, Canucks, and Los Angeles Kings. He had previously worked for the Lightning as a collegiate scout from 2020 to 2022 and the Seattle Kraken’s Director of Player Development from 2022 to 2025.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Islanders Re-Sign Marc Gatcomb

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The Islanders have re-signed forward Marc Gatcomb to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. The restricted free agent lands a $900K commitment on a one-way deal, per PuckPedia, the first of his NHL career.

Gatcomb, who turns 26 later this month, lands the commitment after making his NHL debut in 2024-25. A minor-league depth signing by the Isles last summer, he ended up logging much more NHL ice than anyone expected, making 39 appearances and becoming a fourth-line fixture late in the season after his initial January call-up.

The 6’2″, 195-lb winger was one of the Islanders’ more physical forwards, ranking second on the team with 149 hits despite his limited game log and ice time. He averaged 9:47 per game but did manage eight goals, finishing at a likely unsustainable 19.5% clip.

Gatcomb, a Massachusetts native, has only ever signed NHL contracts with the Islanders. He was initially an undrafted free agent signing by Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, in 2022 out of UConn. He scored 12 goals, 16 assists, and 28 points in 112 games for the club in parts of three seasons before landing a two-way deal with the Isles last summer.

After also recording nine goals and 17 points in 35 AHL games for Bridgeport last season – respectable totals on the league’s worst club – Gatcomb’s focus turns toward making an NHL roster out of camp for the first time. He faces an uphill battle after the team added Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov to its forward group in free agency and acquired Emil Heineman from the Canadiens in the Noah Dobson trade, but there’s an opening for him to snag a spot as a No. 12/13/14 forward if he can leapfrog someone like Shabanov or fringe winger Pierre Engvall in camp.

The Islanders have six contract slots remaining after signing Gatcomb, per PuckPedia. One of those will eventually go to RFA winger Maxim Tsyplakov, who was among the 11 players who elected salary arbitration yesterday.

Eleven Players Elect Salary Arbitration

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Eleven players across the NHL have elected for salary arbitration, per the NHLPA.

Those names include:

The deadline for second club-elected arbitration is Sunday at 5 p.m., with arbitration hearings scheduled from July 20 to August 4. Two seasons ago, 23 players filed for arbitration, and last summer, that number dropped to 14 — a downward trend that continues this year.

As a reminder, not every player is expected to head to a hearing, as negotiations will continue leading into July 20. However, each player who elects for salary arbitration is now prohibited from negotiating with other teams or signing an offer sheet.

Islanders Notes: Shabanov, Barzal, Horvat, Drouin

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Despite drawing interest from several NHL teams, Russian free agent forward Maxim Shabanov chose to sign his one-year, entry-level contract with the New York Islanders because of the opportunities it presents, per Daria Tuboltseva of RG.org.

As Tuboltseva notes, Utah, Philadelphia, Vegas, Boston, and the New York Rangers expressed interest in Shabanov and that the 24-year-old surveyed all options before landing with the Islanders. In part, Shabanov prioritized finding the right fit over securing the biggest payday.  His contract will carry a $975,000 cap hit and maximum bonuses – valued at $3.5MM – per NHL.com’s Kevin Weekes.

“Utah really wanted him. So did Philadelphia, Vegas, Boston, the Rangers. So many teams. Some clubs even lost patience because the decision took a while. We were getting five or six calls a day,” his agent, Alexander Chernykh, told RG.

Despite being listed at just 5’8″ and 157 pounds, Shabanov recorded 23 goals and 67 points in 65 games with the KHL’s HC Traktor this season — the third-highest point total in the league. What he lacks in size, he makes up for with speed and skill. Shabanov will look to carve out a role on the Islanders’ third line but could conceivably work his way up the lineup. Today, coach Patrick Roy also noted the team’s interest in utilizing Shabanov as a flank on the power play, per a team release.

Elsewhere with the Islanders:

  • Roy noted that he envisions forwards Jonathan Drouin and Bo Horvat starting training camp on the same line, pairing Drouin’s playing-making abilities with Horvat’s shoot-first mentality. As Roy stated, “I think they’re both going to connect very well.” Drouin will provide the Islanders with key power-play minutes, which Roy said is one of the reasons GM Mathieu Darche signed the veteran to a two-year, $8MM contract. Drouin has recorded 31 power-play points over the past two seasons and 125 across his 11-year NHL career.
  • Roy also stated that Mathew Barzal is expected to slot back into his natural center position next season. Barzal, 28, began his career exclusively as a center but has spent time on the wing in each of the past two seasons. While he’s just one year removed from an 80-point campaign, he was limited to only 30 games last season due to injury, recording six goals and 20 points. With a career faceoff win rate of just 42.3 percent, Barzal will likely spend the offseason working to improve in that area. Last season, he took 52 faceoffs, winning just 22.

Islanders Hire David Cunniff, Chad Kolarik To AHL Assistant Coach Roles

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The New York Islanders have rounded out their minor-league coaching staff, hiring David Cunniff and Chad Kolarik as assistant coaches for the Bridgeport Islanders per a team release. The duo will join recently named head coach Rocky Thompson at Bridgeport’s helm.

Both Cunniff and Kolarik have deep roots in minor-league hockey. Cunniff played through parts of three seasons in the AHL and five in the ECHL during the late-1990’s. He gained a reputation for bruising minutes, and racked up 168 penalty minutes in 62 games of the 1997-98 season at his peak. Cunniff retired at the age of 30, in the 2001-02 season, and quickly turned his sights towards a coaching career. He was hired as an assistant coach for the Cleveland Barons in the 2002-03 season, and continued on in the role for the next four seasons. He then moved on to eight seasons with the Worcester Sharks, four seasons with the Iowa Wild, one year with the Hartford Wolf Pack, and two seasons with the Utica Comets.

Cunniff’s journeyman career around AHL benches has taken him to just five postseasons over the last 22 years. He’s a stout defensively-minded coach, who should bring regiment to a Bridgeport lineup that struggled last season.

Cunniff will be complimented by rookie pro coach Kolarik. He has only appeared in one coaching season through his hockey career: an assistant coach role with the USHL’s Waterloo Black Hawks in 2021-22. Prior to then, Kolarik trekked through an international playing career. He began as a seventh-round pick in the 2004 NHL Draft, and turned towards an AHL career in the 2008-09 season. He scored 100 points in 152 games over his first three AHL seasons – enough to earn two NHL games with the 2009-10 Columbus Blue Jackets. He went without any scoring, and would continue through four more seasons as a full-time minor-leaguer, with just four more games – and one assist – in the NHL.

Kolarik opted to move to Sweden’s SHL in the 2013-14 season, kicking off a journey around European hockey. He spent two years in Sweden and one year in both Russia and Switzerland, before kicking off a three-year career in Germany’s DEL that ended with a league title. He finished his playing career with one year in Austria’s top league in the 2019-20 season. Kolarik will offer an offensive eye and rich playing experience

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