New York Islanders Re-Sign Young Defenseman

The New York Islanders have inked one of their young defenseman, Samuel Bolduc, to a two-year contract at a cap hit of $800,000 AAV. He just finished up his three-year entry-level deal and was a restricted free agent. This signing keeps the defense of the Islanders very young.

#Isles Transaction: The New York Islanders have signed defenseman Samuel Bolduc to a two-year contract.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 20, 2023

The 22-year-old played 17 games for the Islanders last season in his first in the NHL. Should he play six or more games next season, he will be considered a rookie. The Islanders appear to have options on their back-end even though they will likely be losing Scott Mayfield. While no defender on the team is 29 years of age or older, Bolduc and 24-year-old Robin Salo look to have the inside track to the sixth spot on the team's defense.

Bolduc scored two goals, added an assist, and played just under 14:30 per game this season. He was a very good offensive producer in Bridgeport of the AHL though as he added 10 goals and 35 points in 56 games. If Bolduc can start to emulate what he did in the minors, it will really help out a team that is in desperate need of some more scoring from the back-end and will secure his spot in the lineup moving forward.