Lou Lamoriello’s Top Priorities for Islanders 2024 Offseason

Moving Lee’s contract will not be easy, and he is set to make $7 million for the next two seasons with a 15-team no-trade clause. However, he is still relatively productive, so finding a suitor could work. Retention could get him to yield some positive value, but a buyout is also an option. Besides the 2025-26 season, the buyout is quite team-friendly, and the extra cap space would address multiple other holes on the roster.

Adding Talent Up Front

The Islanders have a lot of good NHL players, but few dynamic stars who can take over a game. Outside of Mat Barzal, Bo Horvat, Brock Nelson, and Noah Dobson, the remainder of the roster is primarily role players. Lamoriello needs to add more talent, especially those who are offensively dominant. There are not many options, especially with the team’s cap struggles, but he has options.

The priority for an addition is on offense. Assuming the team can free up cap space, they can be aggressive in free agency. One name that immediately comes to mind is Jake Guentzel, who had 30 goals and 77 points in 67 games this season. Another option could be Jonathan Marchessault, who scored 42 goals in 82 games this season. There are other free-agent options such as Steven Stamkos and Vladimir Tarasenko, so the Islanders must be sure to take advantage of their options.

The team also needs more offense from their defensemen. This season was an anomaly because injuries riddled the defense, so they must fix this issue for next season. The addition of Reilly earlier in the season was massive for the defense, but head coach Patrick Roy will need more from Ryan Pulock, and even Adam Pelech, to improve the defense. This is not to say they need to score 10-plus goals and 40-plus points, but they need to get more involved in the rush and offensive zone.

Elite Youth and Speed Needed

If there is one thing the Islanders lack, it is youth and speed. Much of the core is on the back nine of their careers, and outside of Barzal and Pierre Engvall, no other forward has great speed. The Islanders need to add a young forward who can develop into a contributor while still on a cheaper deal.

This would likely be done through trade because the draft will take too long to see them reach the NHL. As the playoffs are still underway, it is hard to know which young players could be shopped. But, for now, players like Cole Perfetti, Martin Necas, and Anton Lundell are names Islanders fans should keep an eye on as all three are pending restricted free agents on cap-tight teams.

As the offseason ensues, the overarching theme is to pick a direction. The current core is aging and clearly needs reinforcements to become a Stanley Cup contender, so now is not the time to be shy. The front office needs to decide if they want to go all-in or not, then commit to their decision. There is no doubt this core has the ability to make a run, but they need to solve these issues to reach contender status once again.