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The NY Islanders have options in free agency if they can't come to terms with Mike Reilly

By Michael Stahurski |
New York Islanders v Columbus Blue Jackets
New York Islanders v Columbus Blue Jackets / Jason Mowry/GettyImages
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The NHL Draft has come and gone with Lou Lamoriello and the NY Islanders electing to stand pat, using all six of their selections.

The next order of business to bolster the roster is through free agency, which is set to begin at noon today.

The Islanders don't have much cap space, with only $5.825M to spend before reaching the cap ceiling. To make any sort of splash in the free-agent market, Lamoriello will need to shed some salary by way of trade or buyout.

It appears that UFA's Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck will hit the open market, as the long-time Islanders may be looking for a new home for the first time in a while.

Mike Reilly is the other roster player from last season on an expiring contract, but according to Stefan Rosener of The Hockey News, the Islanders and Reilly's camp have been working on an extension.

Reilly was claimed off waivers for the Florida Panthers in November, becoming an integral part of the Islanders' run to the playoffs. Outside of Noah Dobson, Reilly was the one blueliner willing to get involved on the offensive end of the ice, finishing with 28 points (6 G, 18 A) in 59 games - the second-best offensive output of his career.

Set to turn 31 in two weeks, Reilly isn't getting any younger along with much of this Islanders roster. Still, he was a terrific fit with the team and the preference is to get a deal done.

With the deadline to extend qualifying offers passing yesterday, there is a handful of defensemen who will become free agents that weren't expected. If Reilly and the Islanders are unable to agree on a contract, Lamoriello has options he can turn to in free agency.

Here are three defenseman the Islanders could reach out to:

Erik Brannstrom

Selected by the Vegas Golden Knights 15th overall in 2017, Erik Brannstrom spent last season with the Ottawa Senators. In an early season matchup with the Islanders, Brannstrom suffered what looked to be a serious injury after a hit from Cal Clutterbuck but only missed a few games before returning.

Brannstrom isn't as offensive-minded as Reilly, but is still capable with the puck and he'll be only 25 years old once the season begins. A left-handed shot, Brannstrom finished last season with 20 points (3 G, 17A). Though he might not be an ideal replacement for Reilly, he's six years younger, shouldn't cost much, and still has room to grow in his game.

Jake Bean

One of the surprise names not to be qualified yesterday, Jake Bean will become a free agent at 26 years old. The Columbus Blue Jackets, who have some high-end defensemen in their prospect pool like Denton Mateychuk and David Jiricek who are ready to make an impact in the NHL, Columbus weren't willing to shell out $2.8M for a third-pairing defenseman.

Bean spent three seasons with Columbus after being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes, with his production dropping each year. Last season he had just 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 72 games while playing 16:19 a game. Just two years earlier Bean put up 25 points in (7 G, 18 A), playing over 20 minutes a game and earning time on the power play, contributing 4 points.

Bean will likely have plenty of suitors beginning today, and the Islanders may be priced out if there's a bidding war.

Nate Schmidt

Not the ideal replacement for Reilly as he's 33 years old, but Nate Schmidt is likely the cheapest option and plays a similar style to Reilly.

The Winnipeg Jets are buying out the final year of Schmidt's contract in which he was set to earn $5.95M. With the Jets still on the books for money owed to Schmidt over the next two seasons, he's likely willing to take much less money from his next employer, as a deal can maybe get done for around $1M.

Scoring only 2 goals and 12 assists in 63 games last season, Schmidt averaged under 17 minutes a game for the first time in seven seasons. In a diminished role where he didn't earn as much time on the power play as in previous seasons, Schmidt still contributed 5 points on the man advantage.

A cost-effective option, the Islanders could sign Schmidt to a one-year deal (if they can't come to terms with Reilly), searching for a better option next off-season.

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