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New York Islanders: Best Remaining 2019 Free Agents

By Matt O'Leary

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 16: Ryan Dzingel #19 of the Columbus Blue Jackets lines up for a face-off in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 16, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 16: Ryan Dzingel #19 of the Columbus Blue Jackets lines up for a face-off in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 16, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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The New York Islanders still have some holes on their team. Heading into day three of free agency these are the best players available for the Islanders.

At this point in free agency, there isn’t a ton left to choose from. Most of the bigger name guys have been scooped up and older players like Justin Williams, Joe Thornton, and Patrick Marleau wait for phone calls.

While a big chunk of the free agency remaining are 35 years old or older, there are still a couple of players worth looking into.

One name that comes to mind is Ryan Dzingel. He’s 27-years-old and coming off a 56 point (26 goals, 30 assists) season. He’s someone who has gotten progressively better over the last three years and who could fit in on a second line for fairly good value.

At this point, you can probably get him on a three year deal in the $4-$4.5 million AAV range. To me, that’s worth a swing on a potential 25 goal scorer and 50 point player.

Another name that could make since is Marcus Johansson. He’s 28 years old coming off an injury-plagued, yet productive season. In 58 games he had 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists). His best year came with the Washington Capitals, when Barry Trotz was behind the bench, in 2016-2017 when he had 58 points.

Similar to Dzingel, you can probably get Johansson on a three-year deal at around $4 million AAV. He can play center or on the wing so you can slot him on that second line or have him center the third line if any of the kids show that they are ready to come up and play.

That’s honestly about it for free agents that I’m interested in. You can see the full list of free agents remaining right here.

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