New York Islanders to lock up Romanov with 8-year deal

The New York Islanders have reportedly agreed to terms with RFA defenseman Alexander Romanov on Monday.

The deal, according to insider Elliotte Friedman, is an eight-year pact worth $50 million. The $6.25 AAV is a significant pay bump from his $2.5 million cap hit from this past season.

The former second-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens from 2018 had a solid season in 2024-25. He played in 64 games, scoring four goals and 16 assists for 20 points. But it wasn’t his offense that drove his value higher.

Romanov earned the trust of the coach, Patrick Roy, and the entire organization by becoming the team’s most reliable defenseman. He showed poise in the top pair, handling himself extremely well during teams when the Islanders’ blue line was decimated by injuries.

The New York Islanders acquired Romanov in 2022, along with a 4th round pick in that year. The draft day trade cost the Islanders a first-round pick.

In case you’re wondering, that first-round pick turned into Frank Nazar. The Canadiens used the first-rounder in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks to acquire Kirby Dach. The Blackhawks then used the pick to take Frank Nazar.

Following Romanov’s signing, the Islanders still have over $14 million in cap space. GM Mathieu Darche has pending business as Simon Holmstrom, Maxim Tsyplakov, Marc Gatcomb, and newly-acquired Emil Heineman are RFAs.

Also, blue liner Scott Perunovich, acquired this season from the St. Louis Blues, is an RFA. Mike Reilly and Tony D’Angelo are UFA blue liners. With Romanov, the Islanders have six NHL defensemen signed for next season, per PuckPedia.

The Isles, of course, will be looking to round out the roster with the remaining cap space it’s got. So, fans should expect more news about signings in the days to come.

New York Islanders face interesting free agent choices

Two other free agents on the New York Islanders’ docket are Samuel Bolduc and Hudson Fasching. Both players have gotten a shot at making the big club, but have had up-and-down tenures, to say the least.

Bolduc, an RFA, played one game at the NHL level this past season. The game ended unceremoniously as Bolduc was benched following a terrible giveaway. He was sent back down to Bridgeport following the game and did not return.

Fasching, meanwhile, is a UFA this summer. He played in 40 games this past season, scoring a goal and adding two assists. He saw very limited action, especially after injuries cut his season short.

Both Bolduc and Fasching are interesting depth players. They won’t knock anyone’s socks off, but are solid enough to keep themselves out of trouble. The question will be if the Islanders feel there’s room for them in the lineup next season.

We could perhaps see Fasching sign a two-way contract in hopes of bringing him up in an emergency. As for Bolduc, the Isles will re-sign him, most likely keeping him in the AHL.