The ultimate list of unrestricted free agents the Islanders can steal from their Metropolitan Division rivals

Tomas Nosek, Forward/New Jersey Devils

Okay, so not every name on this list will be a game-changer, but with potential changes that should come to the lower lines on Long Island, more role players could be needed. Someone like Tomas Nosek has been a proven fixture on the lower lines with organizations like the Detroit Red Wings, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Boston Bruins, and most recently, the New Jersey Devils, where he’s seen action in just 31 games this season. 

He’s never scored over 18 points in a single season, but Nosek is someone who can do more than just consistently block shots and finish checks, as his career faceoff win percentage sits at an incredible 54.5 percent. While the Isles have plenty of centers who can take faceoffs, Nosek would still improve the unit in the circle, as Brock Nelson has been well under the 50 percent faceoff win percentage this season. 

Nosek is yet another player who teams can trust when short-handed, as he’s logged over 210 over the past pair of seasons. While his on-ice save percentage in the situation this year is an average of 84.4 percent, that hasn’t always been the case every year - he’s logged a percentage of 87.9 or higher in four previous seasons. 

Nosek won’t score points in the same way as Guentzel or Teravainen, but it doesn’t mean he’s not an effective player, especially defensively.