New York Islanders Actively Shopping Players to Free Up Cap Space

The New York Islanders need all the salary cap space they can get and general manager Lou Lamoriello appears to be working to free up space.

Both The Athletic and The Fourth Period reported that Lamoriello was actively trying to shop Jordan Eberle, Leo Komarov, Nick Leddy and Thomas Hickey. Andrew Ladd was also mentioned in The Athletic report.

The New York Islanders have roughly $5 million in cap space and will get another $6 million freed up once Johnny Boychuk is placed on LTIR. They’ll need as much room as possible with new deals for restricted free agents Adam Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier and Ilya Sorokin needed. Casey Cizikas will lead the pack of unrestricted free agents that Lamoriello will likely try to keep as well.

There appeared to be some urgency to move Leddy before the July 21 expansion draft with Seattle appearing to show interest in Leddy if he is left unprotected by the Islanders. Moving Leddy would help the team shed his $5.5 million cap hit and any deal would be easier to complete since the defenseman doesn’t have any trade protection in his contract.

Leddy is in the final year of his deal and would be a UFA following the 2021-22 season. Hickey also does not have any trade protection in his contract and moving him would free up another $2.5 million.

Trading Eberle or Komarov would be a bit more complicated for the New York Islanders, with both players having a say in where they would end up. Both have modified no-trade clauses with Eberle having a 16-team no-trade list and Komarov having a seven-team list.

A resolution, at least in the short term, with the Leddy situation will come at some point this week. Teams have to submit their protected players list on Saturday and then the league will place a trade freeze until the expansion draft next week.