August Mailbag Part One: Possible Additions, Big Game Hunting & More

Never let anyone tell you that the New York Islanders don’t have one of the strongest and most dedicated fan bases around. On a hot August weekend, I put out a mailbag and received enough questions that we’ll have another part to this mailbag.

Let’s dive right into your questions and get you answers.

Stoli378: Is there anyone currently outside the organization you see potentially landing on the opening night roster?

As of right now, the only position I could see with any potential addition would be the defense. Make no mistake, the Islanders’ forward group, while clearly and significantly improved, is too full to add a free agent or take a flier on another player without sending someone out the other way.

The Islanders would be fine to part with Pierre Engvall due to his contract, but with the cheap cap hit, it’s not a priority right now. There’s always a PTO possibility as a blanket insurance in case Maxim Shabanov struggles unexpectedly.

In the crease, the Islanders have three goalies who played 10+ NHL games last season behind starter Ilya Sorokin in Semyon Varlamov (If healthy), David Rittich, and Marcus Hogberg. Nothing there.

Defensively, it sure feels like there’ll be at least one player in camp on a PTO. Currently, the Islanders have six defenders under contract, with Matthew Schaefer unable to sign until his 18th birthday and Isaiah George projected to start in Bridgeport.

It makes too much sense not to at least bring in a player for competition’s sake. Some options could include old friends Travis Hamonic (RD) or Calvin de Haan (LD). The left side makes more sense, so de Haan is one to watch.

Robert Lemoine: If the Islanders want to go to the playoffs, they are going to need a goalscorer. Is there any way they can get Jason Robertson from Dallas? He would fit nicely on the Islanders.

Jason Robertson would be the biggest trade acquisition in many, many years for the Islanders. However, it does not seem like the Dallas Stars have any motivation to move him at this point.

Robertson, 26, will become an RFA at the end of next season, where Dallas with either need to extend or trade the perennial 30-goal scorer. If he truly becomes available, the Islanders will be all over it.

When the first batch of Robertson rumors emerged, the Islanders kicked tires. Dallas was not committed to moving the forward, so nothing advanced.

Between now and October, there’s no chance this happens, and with how good Dallas figures to be, this question might not become relevant until next June. Make no mistake, the Islanders would be all over this if it ever truly becomes an option.

SalluvstheIslanders: With an extra pick and $12 million coming off the books, any chance the Isles take a shot in getting a real game changer?

This is the 12-million-dollar question entering this season. Anders Lee ($7 million) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($5 million) become UFAs next July. After you add in the additional cap space being added by the league to the pot (an $8.5 jump up to a $104 cap ceiling), the Islanders will have a ton of flexibility, roughly $28.2 million of it.

As for the upcoming trade deadline, it’ll depend on where the Islanders are. If they’re out of playoff position, they could stand to gain another two first-round picks for Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau if they perform at similar paces as they did this last year.

However, I think parting with Lee will be much more difficult for the Islanders, being their captain a true public face of the franchise. Similar to Brock Nelson, I think the first preference will be to keep him, no matter what. However, unlike Nelson, Lee likely won’t be looking at a high-money extension. He is much more likely to take a team-friendly deal to remain an Islander.

Pageau is where the Islanders are likely to sell, almost no matter what. Calum Ritchie could be ready as soon as October, but 30-40 AHL games will do him quite nicely. Moreover, the Islanders have Danny Nelson coming in the spring, and he might not be too far away. He will need some AHL seasoning, but two new centers coming within 12 months almost guarantee Pageau’s exit.

But that doesn’t answer your question about a real game-changer. Put simply, yes. Whether by a strong 2026 UFA market or a major trade, the Islanders will be taking massive swings next June. It’s too early to list names, but Kyle Connor and Kirill Kaprizov would be the Islanders’ top UFA targets if either even reaches the open market.