This past season for the New York Islanders was not one to remember fondly. Plenty of shortcomings coming from the roster, coaching staff, a 13-game road trip to start the season, and a COVID-19 outbreak that messed up the team's flow early in the season all contributed to a disappointing season.
That makes this offseason a very important one for the trajectory of the team moving forward.
Barry Trotz is out, to many fans' surprise, and it's something that both management and fans will have to live with for this team to move forward. Lane Lambert was promoted from assistant to head coach, and while many will understandably miss Trotz behind the bench, there is plenty of optimism for Lambert.
Just like a coaching change, the roster will certainly be shaken up before next season. The Islanders luckily have become more of a destination for players when compared to years past with factors such as having a beautiful new arena, stable management, and developing a winning culture.
Last season the Islanders' biggest moves in free agency consisted of resigning pending free agents on the team, along with the signings of Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara. While veteran depth is nice and all, a bigger splash is something fans will be clamoring for.
So, let's take a look at some UFA options for the Islanders to try and pursue to make that splash on July 13th.
We'll go from the most reasonable option to the least reasonable option, and keep in mind the Islanders are expected to have around $12 million in cap space this summer.