Lots of depth for a transitional phase.
NHL free agency kicked off yesterday without a lot of huge names available nor moving, but it was still active. Mitch Marner’s move to Vegas was already a foregone conclusion, but Brock Boeser surprisingly stayed put and Nikolaj Ehlers did not yet pick his new destination.
The Islanders had several announcements, all reflecting a transitional state where they are not tanking but not throwing in the towel, instead leaving some flexibility for when the salary cap rises again and some of their older folks fade.
Islanders News
- The Islanders announced a bunch of signings, including adding Jonathan Drouin and bringing back Tony DeAngelo, re-signing RFA Simon Holmstrom, and others. [LHH | Isles | Newsday | Post]
- You don’t sound that convincing: Cole Eiserman “thinks” he’s going back for another year of school. [Newsday]
Here’s Mathieu Darche’s presser, which was before some of the minor moves were announced. He fielded a question about whether Mathew Barzal might move back to center, and how Drouin can play wing and center, too. (Whatever you think of his moves, after two absurdly secretive regimes I am relieved to finally have a GM who actually thinks it’s worthwhile to discuss strategy with fans and media.):
Darche also confirmed Mike Reilly and Scott Perunovich will not be back. He wasn’t asked about Marcus Hogberg, but you figure he’s gone with David Rittich in the fold.
Elsewhere
- For real this time: Hockey media legend Bob McKenzie, who I first became aware of via his black-and-white mugshot next to his byline in The Hockey News back in the ‘80s, is fully retiring this time, he says. Though part of me still thinks he’ll come out of the woodwork in a few years to break the news that James Hagens is coming home. [TSN]
- R.I.P Alex Dalvecchio,
- In a shock, Brock Boeser re-signs long term with the Canucks. After all that drama. [NHL]
- Well, the Panthers kept most of the band together. But Nate Schmidt departs for Utah for three years, $10 million. [NHL]
- Wow, okay: The Rangers offloaded K’Andre Miller to the Hurricanes, who agreed to take him on an eight-year, $60 million deal. Carolina sent 2026 1st and 2nd rounders in the deal. So there’s your Dobson trade haul comparable, maybe? [TSN]
- That left room for the Rangers to add Vladislav Gavrikov — surely no tampering there despite it being telegraphed for weeks — for seven years. [NHL]
- With oodles of cap space, Anaheim signed…Mikael Granlund for three years, $7M AAV. Okay then. That’s an instant “We’re not good, so we can afford it” move. The Little Ball of Hate is following the Yzerplan model, it seems. [TSN]
- Glen Guluzan returns to Dallas for a second act as head coach, after Pete DeBoer burned his latest bridge. [NHL]
- Cute, but Lou would never approve: Ducks pick Roger McQueen goes with the same number of the McQueen in some Disney movie I didn’t see because my kids weren’t born yet. [NHL]