Other Teams Creating Cap Space; Islanders Up Next?
The 2024 NHL Draft is just two days away, and the salary-cap-clearing moves are starting to pile up.
On June 13, the New York Rangers kicked off the cap-saving when they waived Barclay Goodrow and his $3.64 million annual deal (through 2026-27), knowing that the San Jose Sharks were ready to scoop him up and bail the Blue Shirts out.
With that move, the Rangers have around $12.85 million in cap space and are rumored to be a prime landing spot for Jake Guentzel, the top pending free agent.
Then, on June 19, the Los Angeles Kings rid themselves of Pierre-Luc Dubois and the remaining seven years of an eight-year deal worth $8.5 million annually by trading him to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goalie Darcy Kuemper, who has three years remaining at $5.25 million annually.
The Kings currently have $23.4 million in cap space.
Then, on Tuesday, the Detroit Red Wings dealt defenseman Jake Walman at a $3.4 million cap hit through 2025-26 and a 2024 second-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for future considerations.
General manager Steve Yzerman now has $32.77 million in cap space and is poised to go Guentzel hunting.
The latest move is going to come out of Buffalo, as the Sabres will be buying out the final three years of his deal which carried a $9 million annual cap hit.
New York Islanders fans should keep an eye on Skinner as a potential option this summer.
If the Islanders, who currently have just $5.8 million in cap space before re-signing anyone, plan on bringing in top-flight talent, whether that's via trade or the market, at least one cap-clearing move has to come sooner than later.
Could we see them buy any players out when the window opens on Thursday morning?
Forwards Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who carries a $5 million AAV through 2025-26, and Anders Lee, who carries a $7 million AAV through 2025-26, would be the likely candidates.
A Pageau buyout would save the Islanders $2.5 million, while a Lee buyout would save them $3.45 million. Both contracts are on the books through 2027-28.
The buyout window closes June 30 at 5 PM ET.
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Via trade, Pageau is the "easier" one to move because of his skill set compared to Lee, and getting one of their deals off the books could be the difference between a mediocre summer and a franchise-altering one.
With Ottawa clearly looking to contend, especially after acquiring goalie Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins, would they welcome back Pageau?
He could be key in solidifying their lineup.
The Islanders do have other options outside of those two.
Most of the Islanders' players have some kind of trade protection, but fourth-line center Casey Cizikas does not.
With Kyle MacLean inking a three-year extension at a team-friendly $775,000 annually, Cizikas becomes expendable, on paper.
There is no stat that measures the energy Cizikas brings and how that impacts his teammates. At $2.5 million annually through 2026-27, it's a rather team-friendly deal.
But every penny counts.
Those who were including Adam Pelech ($5.75M AAV through 2030-31) and Ryan Pulock ($6.15M AAV through 2029-30) in mock trades, both have full no-trade clauses through the end of the 2024-25 season.
It would be a shock to see Brock Nelson, who is entering the final year of his six-year deal worth $6 million annually, moved.
But he is the player that would bring back the most assets.
Kyle Palmieri, who just had his best season with the Islanders, is also entering the final year of his deal at $5 million and could bring back some assests.
Both Nelson and Palmieri are likely to take team-friendly deals to remain on Long Island, if the interest is mutual.
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Could goalie Semyon Varlamov, who inked a four-year extension last summer worth $2.75 million annually, be convinced to waive his no-trade clause like Ullmark?
Albeit entering the second year of a seven-year deal with a modified no-trade clause (16 teams), do the Islanders think of moving Pierre Engvall?
Does head coach Patrick Roy and Lamoriello think they can get more consistency out of the 28-year-old, whose effort at times landed him in the scratch house?
It comes down to Roy and what players on the roster, he believes, can play his game.
Of course, moving anyone off the island, especially ones that have trade protection, is extremely difficult -- even more so when opposing teams know your financial situation.
But, as we've seen over the last few days and weeks, there are ways to make cap space.
If the Islanders are going to go big-game fishing this summer or bolster their roster in any way, Lamoriello has to find a way to make one of the moves above, and he has the draft capital to do so.