Could the NY Islanders have competition to sign Anders Lee?

For years, Anders Lee has been one of the faces of the New York Islanders franchise. Having spent his entire 14-year career on Long Island, he is one of the first people you think of when you think of the Islanders. He has racked up 308 goals and 241 assists for 549 points in his career, and has been the team's captain for the last eight seasons. With Lee entering free agency and him being a key figure in Isles history, it only makes sense for the Islanders to resign him.

However, it looks like there could be some competition for Lee's services. Recently, Michael DeRosa of The Hockey Writers wrote about how the Blue Jackets should be interested in Lee if he hits the free agent market. With the Blue Jackets shopping for forwards this offseason, Lee is definitely someone they can have on their radar. Losing Lee would be a black eye on the organization. But how realistic is it that Lee could leave the Islanders for Columbus?

Can the Blue Jackets steal Anders Lee from the Islanders?

Despite a long career and Lee being in his mid 30's, he still put up decent numbers during the 2025-26 season. In 82 games, he racked up 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points. Sure, it was not the 50-plus point production we are used to seeing from Lee. But this is good enough to be a solid middle-six forward in the NHL. His advanced metrics also show he generated more offense than his counting stats show. According to Natural Stat Trick, he had a 51.55 CF%, 52.90 SCF%, and a 53.66 xG%.

Lee is someone who can help fix the Blue Jackets' average offense. Last season, they averaged three goals per game, which ranked 19th in the NHL. They also had only three forwards who notched over 40 points this past season. Lee is someone who they can put on their second line and know he will produce. He can also be a leader in the Blue Jackets locker room. Young stars like Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson, and Denton Mateychuk could all benefit from Lee's veteran presence.

On paper, the Blue Jackets appear to have an advantage over the Islanders. They are projected to have $34 million in cap space, while the Islanders will only have $12 million. If they really want Lee on the roster, they can outbid the Islanders. But the Blue Jackets need to bring in multiple forwards to lengthen the lineup. They need to bring in several forwards to complement the young guys they have. They also have Boone Jenner and Charlie Coyle as pending free agents. With so many different holes and contract situations, they won't be interested in getting into a bidding war for an aging forward.

This is a problem the Islanders will not have. Lee is the main pending free agent they have this offseason. Sure, guys like Carson Soucy and Tony DeAngelo are free agents, but they are easily replaceable with cheap young skaters. While it's not the smart move, the Islanders could focus all their attention on Lee. They can give him whatever he wants without fear of losing other key players.

While it is nerve-racking to think about Lee leaving Long Island, it appears to be more of a pipe dream. It would be shocking if Lee does not suit up for the Islanders in his 15th NHL season.

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