Report: 2 NY Islanders are Buyout Candidates

The New York Islanders made one big move at the trade deadline, in dealing Brock Nelson. But they didn't trade their other notable pending UFA, Kyle Palmieri, nor two others that were said to be trade candidates, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Anders Lee (who each have one year to run on their contracts, and are both on the wrong side of 30).

So what happens next?

“We need to get younger. We understand that,” GM Lou Lamoriello said of the coming offseason, per Arthur Staple in The Athletic. “There will be change this summer. Until there’s change, you can’t say how much, but I can assure you there’ll be change.”

Engvall and Mayfield are buyout candidates

Two of those 'changes' that could be on the docket, writes Staple, would be buyouts of Pierre Engvall and Scott Mayfield. Both have a whopping five years left on their contracts, so the Islanders would be paying them for the next decade if they choose to buy them both out. But as Staple notes, the combined cap savings would be $4.33 million in each of the next five years.

It would be a $2 million cap hit savings for Engvall (who has a $3M AAV), and a $2.33 million savings for Mayfield (who owns a $3.5M AAV).

Mayfield will be 33 before next season begins, and as Staples notes, "has a lot of wear and tear" in his 11 seasons on the Islander blueline. As for Engvall, he'll only be 29, but with only four goals this season, and already having been put on waivers twice earlier in the campaign, it's pretty obvious his days as an Islander need to come to an end.

The overarching goals of the offseason, says Staple, are a need to "get younger, better players in every possible spot in their lineup."

That leaves Engvall and Mayfield likely out of the plans.