The NY Islanders sign Kyle MacLean to 3-year extension

The NY Islanders have completed their first business of the off-season, signing forward Kyle MacLean to a 3-year extension.

The 25-year-old made his NHL debut this season, playing his first game in late January and remaining a mainstay in the Islanders lineup after another short spell back in Bridgeport.

While it's official that MacLean will be with the Islanders for the next three seasons, in typical Lou Lamoriello fashion the amount he will earn is still unknown, as Lamoriello prefers to keep other GMs around the league in the dark as to his finances.

MacLean played 32 games this season with the Islanders, scoring four times and adding five assists. His presence on the fourth line allowed Patrick Roy to deploy Casey Cizikas in other positions, ultimately finding a home on the top-line wing, alongside Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal.

MacLean's biggest moment of the season came during the playoffs, scoring his first career playoff goal and the Islanders first of the postseason in Game 1, knotted the score at one in what was ultimately a 3-1 loss.

“He’s settling into the group more and more and feeling good about it,” Captain Anders Lee said of MacLean. “He deserves to be here and it’s well-earned. You don’t get the call-up and stay around if it’s not earned. We’re very appreciative to have him in the room and his presence around and it’s fun to see him get more and more comfortable.”

With MacLean and Cizikas now locked up for the next three seasons, Roy will have to decide if he'll play both on the fourth line with one shifting to wing, or if Cizikas will move up to the third line. That decision will likely depend on the future of JG Pageau with the Islanders, as he's the name most often discussed as a piece that could be moved to acquire a top-6 forward.