New York Islanders Hand Out Two Contracts: Fritz and Durandeau

The New York Islanders signed Tanner Fritz and Arnaud Durandeau to contracts on Friday. One will be a depth option in the NHL while the other a promising forward in the AHL.

It wasn’t exactly the signings New York Islanders fans were hoping to hear, but the Islanders signed Tanner Fritz and Arnaud Durandeau to contracts on Friday.

We’re all waiting to hear that the Islanders have signed UFA’s Anders Lee and Robin Lehner. But the Islanders still have an NHL and AHL team to run. Signing Tanner Fritz and Arnaud Durandeau might not be as glamorous as Lee and Lehner. But they are necessary.

Double Signings

Tanner Fritz

The Islanders signed Tanner Fritz to a two-year $1.4 million deal with a $700,000 AAV. The deal is a one-way contract in the first year and a two-way deal in the second with a $250,000 salary if Fritz were to play in the AHL.

Fritz is likely going to feature for the Islanders this season. In what way isn’t clear yet. After having back surgery in the offseason Cal Clutterbuck might be ready for training camp, but he also might not.

"We still don’t know, but indications from Lamoriello’s comments are that Clutterbuck had the more invasive surgery that could take his recovery up close to the start of training camp."

Leaving a gap in the Islanders fourth line. The right-handed Fritz could easily be shifted to the wing in Cal Clutterbuck‘s absence to play alongside Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin.

In 57 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Tanner Fritz scored 37 points. He could certainly do a good job while Clutterbuck is out.

Arnaud Durandeau

After drafting him in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL draft, the New York Islanders needed to sign Arnaud Durandeau to an ELC by 5 pm Friday or he could re-enter the draft. By 3:30 pm there was an official announcement from the team that a deal was done.

With 41 points in his draft year, there wasn’t much to the 6’0″ winger playing for the Halifax Moosehead. But he got better year-over-year. This season he scored 73 points in 68 games and added another 20 points in 23 playoff games as the Moosehead lost to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in the QMJHL Finals.

There was no reason to lose a talented player, already technically in the system for no reason. The Islanders have been bringing in talented college players like Bobo Carpenter and Grant Hutton to increase their pool of talented youngsters to pull from. It would seem odd for them to allow a player they drafted just a few seasons ago to leave for nothing.