Looking ahead at 3 potential free agent options for the NY Islanders in 2025

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While many of the franchises around the NHL break out their checkbooks at the start of free agency each summer, the NY Islanders are typically trailing the pack when it comes to making new signings.

This off-season, the Islanders signed Maxim Tsyplakov to a one-year $950k contract, and Anthony Duclair to a four-year deal worth $3.5M annually - the only players brought in from outside last year's team.

Last off-season, Lou Lamoriello stood pat in free agency, electing only to re-sign his own players, with his big transaction coming at the trade deadline when the Islanders acquired Bo Horvat.

A major reason why the Islanders haven't been active on July 1 in recent years is their lack of cap space. With the salary cap remaining stagnant after the COVID pandemic, Lamoriello has had little space to operate and has admitted himself that if he'd known this to be the case, he wouldn't have given out the contracts he had.

But in the summer of 2025, the Islanders are set to have more cap space than they have in a long time. Coming off the books are Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri, Hudson Fasching, and Mike Reilly, creating $13.025M in cap space.

A large chunk of that money will in all likelihood be spent on Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov's extensions, but Lamoriello should have some leftover cash to spend in free agency, as well as making trades to free up additional space.

Here's three 2025 free agents the Islanders could be in on.

Mitch Marner

Set to be the top free agent available next off-season, it's hard to imagine Match Marner remaining with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Marner and John Tavares both coming off the books next season, the Leafs will have plenty of money to offer if they wish to bring him back, but Marner may be better off starting fresh elsewhere.

With the Leafs' lack of postseason success over recent years, there have been talks of blowing up the core of the team, but nothing has happened as of yet.

With the Islanders' need for a top-line winger, Marner's name has been thrown around often. While he'd be an ideal fit alongside Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal this season, there's almost no way the Islanders could fit his $10.9M AAV under the cap.

With the salary cap set to go up again next off-season, there's a strong probability Marner's agent will command north of $10M a season again, and he'll like get it.

At 28 years old next off-season, Marner will be in the prime of his career and could flourish alongside Horvat and Barzal.

While Matt Martin won't be part of the Islanders roster going forward, there's a chance he could become part of the coaching staff at some point if he doesn't sign with another organization. Martin and Marner had a strong bond during Martin's time in Toronto, which has continued despite playing in different cities. Could the Islanders look to use Martin to pitch Long Island to Marner in July?

Brock Boeser

Finishing runner-up to Barzal for the Calder Trophy in 2018, Brock Boeser is in the final year of a three-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks.

Scoring 45-55 points over his first six seasons in the NHL, Boeser had a breakout year in 2023-24, scoring 40 goals and adding 33 assists.

His emergence as one of the league's top goal scorers is one of the main reasons the Canucks were one of the league's most surprising teams, winning the Pacific Division.

Due a significant pay raise from the $6.65M he's currently making, if Boeser has a repeat of last season, he'll be looking at a deal worth at least $9M annually.

Boeser fits the mold of the player the Islanders have been searching for for years. He's a natural goal scorer who has thrived alongside Elias Pettersson - a role that Barzal could assume.

While Marner puts up more points than Boeser, he plays a similar game as Barzal and is most effective as a distributor. Boeser on the other hand always has shooting on his mind and could thrive off Barzal's playmaking and passing capabilities, along with having previous chemistry with Horvat.

Carter Verhaeghe

A trade that still hurts years later, the Islanders traded Carter Verhaghe to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2017 for Kristers Gudlevskis.

Eight years later, Verhaghe has emerged as a 40-goal scorer and has his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

After this season Verhaghe's three-year $4.167AAV contract with the Florida Panthers will expire making him a free agent.

Varhaghe's career trajectory has been trending upward ever since joining the Panthers in 2020, scoring 42 goals in 2022-23 and finishing with 72 points last season.

Aside from filling up the stat sheet, Verhaghe has shown up when it matters most - in the playoffs. He led the Panthers in playoff goals on their path to the Stanley Cup, scoring 11 across four rounds. Not only does he find the back of the net, but he's done so at the most important times with five overtime goals in his career.

Verhaeghe isn't as dynamic as Marner and isn't the natural goal scorer Boeser is, but the guy just seems to get it. Overlooked most of his career, even by the Islanders, he's played with a chip on his shoulder and is now reaping the benefits.

Verhaghe will likely cost less than Marner and Boeser but is still capable of playing first line minutes along with the top power play unit. It may be difficult to pry him away from Southern Florida as he's grown into the player he is during his four years with the Cats.

Varhaghe will be on the wrong side of 30 next off-season but will be looking for the biggest payday in his career, and the Islanders would be smart to give him a second chance

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