Islanders need to come full circle with Anders Lee in 2026-27

The New York Islanders have only a handful of UFAs this offseason. That situation means the roster is pretty much set for next season. Barring any major offseason moves, Peter DeBoer will have a good sense of what he will have to work with in the fall.

But there’s one game that could be hitting the free-agent market this summer. And that’s captain Anders Lee. Lee ended a seven-year, $49 million contract. It seems like yesterday that he signed the deal.

The contract is now up, and both sides are staring at the future. The 152nd overall pick from the 2009 draft has gone on to have a remarkable career. One that would exceed the expectations for just about every sixth-round pick.

That outstanding career includes 923 regular-season games wearing the blue and orange. Lee has been a marine. He’s been a solid player during good times and a fixture in bad ones. He took over the franchise’s top leadership role after John Tavares ditched Long Island.

And he was able to make things right.

That’s why the organization has to come full circle with Lee in 2026-27. Regardless of whether he remains a high-end goal scorer, the Islanders should do right by him and the fanbase, allowing Lee to play his 1,000th game as an Islander.

The feat, should he get there, would make for good optics. He’s 77 games away from reaching that milestone. But along the way, the Islanders could have one heck of a season.

Lee’s final season could be official passing of the torch for Islanders

Now, I’m not suggesting that Lee is ready to retire. But I am assuming he’d be sticking around in Long Island for one more season. One last hurrah in which he can play his 1,000th game and pave the way for the team’s next captain.

Considering how traumatic the process was during the team’s last captaincy change, it makes sense that this time things go more smoothly.

As such, this final season, regardless of whether it is the final year or not, could be utilized as a passing of the torch for the Islanders’ next captain, Bo Horvat.

Horvat has become the backbone of the Islanders. And if Lee were to leave this summer, Horvat would be the no-brainer slam-dunk choice to succeed Lee.

In fact, the organization could take things one step further and anoint Horvat captain even if Lee returns. Personally, the optics of such a move wouldn’t sit too well. But the time has come for the organization to usher in a new era.

What better way to begin a new era with a new coach and a new captain? Sure, the bulk of the lineup might still be the same. But at the end of the day, the organization would do well to begin a new chapter with DeBoer behind the bench, Horvat with the “C,” and Matthew Schaefer as the official star.

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