Five UFA's the Islanders should pursue this summer

Andre Burakovsky: Colorado Avalanche

Burakovsky may not jump out at you as a "huge splash" right away, but he is much more than a depth piece at this point in his career.

I could see him sliding in nicely on the second line next to Brock Nelson, but wherever he'd be placed would be a solid fit.

In his contract year this season, he has set a career-high in goals, assists, and points. He's fast, dynamic, and stays out of the penalty box (18 minutes all season). His shooting percentage is also pretty solid from season to season, with an average of 17.6% in the past three seasons.

Sounds like the 27-year-old winger fits the bill for what Islanders fans are looking for, at a likely reasonable price as well.

He's currently making $4.9 against the cap, which will certainly go up, but I can't see it being a really steep price. I would expect somewhere within the $5.5-$6 million range, so hopefully, Lou could sweet talk that down if he's asking for a higher price.

It's going to be a challenge for Colorado to re-sign their pending UFA's this offseason due to so many having career years, such as Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin. Burakovsky could be a casualty if the Avalanche chooses to give a well-earned bag to Kadri.

He's still playing with the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, who are now four games away from winning the Stanley Cup, which would be his second.

And, of course, the connection between coach Lambert and Burakovsky is there. Lambert was Trotz's assistant in Washington when they all won the Stanley Cup together in 2018, so he also brings some winning experience, regardless if the Avalanche gets over the hump this year or not.