Lou Lamoriello begins hectic free agency period
Lou Lamoriello dropped a bombshell on the NHL community. He signed not one, not two, not three, but four players to long-term deals — and one of them wasn’t even a free agent.
To say the Islanders are running it back is an understatement. All fans are also praying for a big spike in the cap ceiling next summer.
Of course, there are some individuals outside the know who are speculating. Many have suggested the Isles are kicking tires on Alex Debrincat.
Yes, he would be a great pickup, but, he’s a restricted free agent. He’s having a hard time finding an eight-year deal and at the time of writing, Lamoriello has left himself a whopping $1 million in cap space. It would have to be, as he puts it, a “hockey trade.” But no one will truly know everything.
Instead, I am going to walk through each of the four deals Lamoriello completed today.
Ilya Sorokin: 8 years, $66 million
It is not a mistake today, but it very well could be tomorrow. Of course this had to be done on the Rick DiPietro day. Sorokin is clearly one of the best goalies in the NHL. Some had him winning the Vezina this season. It’s great to see one of the stars of this team get paid accordingly. This also likely means the Russian will spend the remainder of his career on Long Island. However, how long can he sustain this otherworldly play? You’ve got to hope it could be at least four or five seasons.
And again, this will start in 2024, when he’s 29 years old. I’m not for paying goalies, but I was internally set on knowing that anything $8.5 million and up would be a severe overpay. Lou was able to keep it manageable at $8.25 per season. Now is just a matter of hoping he stays healthy and lights-out for as long as possible. However, it won’t be a distraction for the team. Ilya can focus on preparing for the upcoming season knowing a very nice payday is on it’s way.
Semyon Varlomov: 4 years, $11 million
Lamoriello also brought back his friend and backup. Varly was very good when called upon for the Isles this season. I have no doubt teams definitely offered him contracts with an AAV over $3 million. However, he locks in terms and security on the island. The thing with backup goalies is that when they’re needed, they’re really needed. All the time they’re not makes this an overpay. Obviously, he’s good for 20-25 games a season and very solid stats.
The issue is that Varlomov is 35. I don’t know how well he will age. He has clearly been great as an Islander for the past four seasons. But that doesn’t have any indication on how he’ll do for the next four seasons. I have concerns that he may become a trade or buyout candidate as soon as next season, which makes giving up this cap space even more frustrating in the short term.
Scott Mayfield: 7 years, $24.5 million
Mayfield absolutely deserved a raise. He’s quietly been a consist stay-at-home defensemen and was integral to the team’s runs in 2020 and 2021. He was also on an absolute bargain for what felt like forever. This is no longer a bargain. Assuming he stays on the third pair, the Islanders will pay him $3.5 million per season for a long time. And this is a guy who’s already 30 and plays a physical brand of hockey. However, it’s a good feeling knowing a guy that loves it here will spend his career here.
But, I again have a sense of dread from this deal. The long term makes me worried for every year except 2023-2024. Unless Lou Lamoriello actually finds a “hockey trade” and gets a difference maker to this group, this is not enough to win a Stanley Cup. Yes, it will make the playoffs, but probably as a lower seed. I have faith a full season of Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal together could bear some fruit. But there’s having hope and then fooling yourself. We are quickly arriving to that destination.
Pierre Engvall: 7 years, $21 million
This is the only deal I feel good about. If the cap does rise substantially in the near future, this could be a total steal. He’s a great skater and a two-way forward. I for one believe that he could do well on the second line alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. That trio was at times the Isles only spark in the first round against Carolina. He’s also only 27, and plays a style that should age well into his thirties. Having familiarity with Lou from Toronto is a plus and I for one think he fits the Islanders’ culture very well.
Lou Lamoriello came out of nowhere with a bunch of moves for the Islanders today. I may not entirely love them, but perhaps Year 2 of Lane Lambert could be better than year one. At the very least, it keeps a group together that has shown they could make the playoffs. Adding either a dynamic scorer or puck-moving defenseman remains a top priority, and moving roster players out is the only way it’s possible.
