3 New York Islanders Not Expected Back Next Season
The New York Islanders were eliminated in five games at the hands of the powerhouse Carolina Hurricanes and now GM Lou Lamoriello has some major decisions to make this offseason. The Islanders are expected to make a few changes this summer which could very well start at the NHL Entry Draft in June.
New York has only $5.5 million in projected cap space to work with this summer and there's going to be a few trades on the horizon. Here's three players who aren't expected back on Long Island:
Ilya Sorokin
With Semyon Varlamov taken over the crease when the games matter most, it's become more and more evident, Sorokin's days are numbered in New York. The goalie trade market is rather thin so even though he struggled to a .909 Sv.% in the regular season and a dismal .786 Sv.% in his one playoff appearance, Sorokin's recent history of being one of the best goalies in the league will still appeal to onlooking teams. The crazy part is his new contract kicks in next season, an eight-year deal at $8.25 million. We'll see if Lamoriello tries to move Sorokin at the draft before his no-movement clause kicks in.
Matt Martin
A true professional and one of the best checking wingers of his time, Martin is a pending free agent and at 34 years old, look for Lamoriello to move on this summer. The identity of the team will be altered a bit with Martin out of the picture but it's become clear he's lost a step and isn't as effective as he once was. Martin only played three playoff games and averaged juts over nine minutes a night. He appeared in 57 regular season games, collecting eight points. He'll likely sign a league minimum contract somewhere this summer, it won't likely be on Long Island.
Pierre Engvall
Lamoriello will try to right his mistake this summer after signing Engvall to a seven-year deal at $21 million total. Engvall went on to score just 10 goals and 28 points in 74 regular season games and then followed that up with just two points in five playoff games. Engvall holds a 16-team modified no-trade clause, he'll submit his list this summer and watch Lou go to work.
Photo credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
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