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Note: After this post with the (unofficial) information on Anthony Beauvillier’s contract extension, the Islanders finally announced contract extensions (but not financial terms) with their own free agents Beauvillier, Casey Cizikas, Kyle Palmieri and Ilya Sorokin, with Palmieri and Cizikas speaking to media, the latter effusively about his desire to remain, retire and even “die” an Islander. So, consider all that before the below musings.
Casey Cizikas: "There was no doubt. Long Island is my home and will always be my home. There was nowhere else I wanted to be. I want to retire an Islander. That's my goal and something I'll be real proud of when that day comes." #Isles
— Joe Pantorno (@JoePantorno) September 1, 2021
“It’s a collection of everything. It comes down to the fans, how passionate they, how excited they are to watch this team play. Then inside the room and being around these guys every day, it’s a special group and I’m just fortunate enough to have a place here.” - Kyle Palmieri pic.twitter.com/m4uaTS4J82
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 1, 2021
Our original post follows.
The summer of unofficial Islanders news continues. While everyone and their stepbrother believes the Islanders have deals in place for unrestricted free agents Casey Cizikas (six years?) and Kyle Palmieri, cap-impacting RFAs to watch include Ilya Sorokin and Anthony Beauvillier.
The latter may have an agreement for a three-year extension believed to be around $4.1 million in AAV, per Arthur Staple of the Athletic:
Another #Isles contract that was agreed to but still on the "to be filed" list: Anthony Beauvillier has a three-year deal, believed to be worth around $4.1-million per, source said. @LPGeek posted on it a few days ago.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) September 1, 2021
Bunch of other deals are done but not yet filed, of course.
The three-year term for Beauvillier buys up one year of UFA. Heard he was looking for $4.5-million per and #Isles likely wanted more term. Decent compromise for one of their few under-25 forwards.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) September 1, 2021
If you’re tallying at home and coordinating with CapFriendly (which has the Isles at $11.92 million in cap space before these deals), that would be $6.6 million more taken off the cap, leaving $5.3 million to fit in Palmieri and Sorokin — BUT, add another expected $6 million in space when Johnny Boychuk returns to LTIR.
Another way to look at these unfiled but believed figures for Cizikas and Beauvillier is to say this consumes the Boychuck LTIR space plus roughly $600,000 more.
All offseason the speculation has been that Lou Lamoriello is keeping these deals under wraps so he has more flexibility when dealing with other teams in potential trade scenarios or who knows what other targeting may come from other teams. The Palmieri deal would presumably be the biggest ticket, but Sorokin’s deal is also one that has a wide range of possibilities, given his RFA status, KHL track record but short (albeit impressive) NHL experience thus far.
Anyway, they clearly have room for all of the above — and Zach Parise too? — after the trades of Nick Leddy and Andrew Ladd and the Expansion Draft-fenestration of Jordan Eberle. The question is there room for something else to make all this secrecy worthwhile...?