Hard Liner

Islanders captain Anders Lee to test the market; free agency begins

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

It’s July 1, and New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche has reportedly drawn a line in the sand. Whether that line ultimately proves to be prudent or problematic will be another chapter that defines a GM’s tenure.

As free agency opens Wednesday afternoon, the possibility that Anders Lee’s long run on Long Island could be ending felt more real than ever. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that Lee, the Islanders captain since 2018-19 and one of the franchise’s defining players of the post-dynasty era, would test the market. And while nothing is official until a contract is signed elsewhere, the vibe have become increasingly difficult to ignore.

Apparently, this isn’t primarily about money. It’s about term.

Reports indicate the Islanders have been unwilling to move beyond a one-year offer to Lee, who will turn 36 later this week. That’s a defensible position on its face. Every general manager needs boundaries. Every general manager needs to know when sentimentality stops and roster construction begins. If Darche believes giving out multi-year contracts to players in their mid-30s is bad business, then he should stick to that philosophy.

The problem is that he hasn’t.

That’s what makes this situation so perplexing to some.

Last March, the Islanders extended 33-year-old Jean-Gabriel Pageau for three years and committed roster spots and term to veterans like 35-year-old Ondrej Palat and 34-year-old Brayden Schenn. Those moves inherently limit flexibility, too. Those moves also create obstacles for the younger players Darche presumably wants to integrate into the lineup.

So why is Anders Lee the exception?

This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about consistency.

Lee remains a productive player. He scores 20 goals just about every season. He’s played 81 or 82 games in three of the last four years. He remains one of the team’s most respected leaders and one of the few Islanders who has consistently produced through multiple eras of this franchise.

“I feel like you’re a captain of a team and from a fan’s perspective, it’s like, he’s the leader in the room or whatnot, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that goes into it with media or different meetings,” Ryan Pulock said in the New York Post. “Probably more than I realize, to be honest with you. He gets it all done. He’s doing it for us and the rest of the guys in this room.”

If the argument against bringing him back on a second year is preserving flexibility, then that standard should apply universally. Maybe Darche ultimately proves right. Maybe Lee’s next contract becomes an overpay that the Islanders wisely avoided.

But as the hockey world waits to see where one of the greatest captains in franchise history lands, it’s hard to escape the feeling that the line Darche drew for Anders Lee has been remarkably firm, especially compared to the lines he’s already been willing to move for others.

We’ll soon find out if that line moves enough for Lee to return.

📺 New York Islanders Development Camp | Media Availability

🔗 Islanders have so much to weigh before letting Anders Lee walk in free agency by Ethan Sears, New York Post “The door is not closed, not yet, not officially, on Anders Lee to return to the Islanders. No one is eager to see the captain leave, not when he’s just 77 games away from becoming the fourth player ever to hit 1,000 games in blue and orange, not when his leadership still means so much to this team, not when he’s still a perfectly productive player, scoring 19 times last year at age 35”

🔗 NY Islanders’ Isaiah George using two contrasting seasons to earn NHL roster spot by Jiggs Westfall, Eyes on Isles “For Isaiah George, the last two seasons have provided two very different lessons. As the New York Islanders prepare for training camp this fall, the young defenseman is hoping those experiences will help him seize what could be his best opportunity yet to earn a full-time NHL role.”

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And we leave you with this…Anders Lee career highlights (h/t IslesDen)

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