Who Will Be The Islanders' Sixth Defenseman Come Opening Night?

We're now well into day five of NHL free agency and the New York Islanders have yet to announce a single signing. As Lou Lamoriello has proven, this does not mean he has not reached any agreements. It wasn't until September 1st last year that the team announced the expected signing of Kyle Palmieri. With an increasingly frustrated fan base wondering if the team will sign a forward to play alongside Mathew Barzal, the team also needs to round out their defensive corps with another left-shot defenseman.

It is likely that we have seen the last of Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene in the blue and orange as both contemplate retirement. Both have played an integral role in the development of Noah Dobson, as he continues to improve and shows the potential of being that number one defenseman the Islanders have been clamoring for, for the good part of a decade.

Though both Chara and Greene have shown their value to the franchise, it is time for the organization to move on to a younger more fleet-of-foot option to round out their bottom pairing. In the inaugural season of the Lane Lambert regime, the Islanders will look to open up a bit more on offense. It's likely we will see the return of the Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock pairing that has had such success over the past few seasons and now the likely new pairing of Dobson and Alexander Romanov. So that leaves Scott Mayfield without a dance partner, and with the free agent pool dwindling, Lamoriello is running out of options for his newly appointed head coach.

Robin Salo

If Lamoriello decides to stay within the organization, it is most likely we will see Robin Salo paired up with Mayfield to round out the defense. Set to turn 24 on opening night, the former second-round pick is entering his second season in the NHL and may be poised to leave his mark on the coaching staff and implant himself in the everyday lineup.

Last season we saw Salo in and out of the lineup, unable to solidify himself as an everyday player. Former coach, Barry Trotz, typically preferred to go with a more veteran option than the young Finn. Appearing in only 21 games, Salo finnished the season with a single goal and added four assists.

Playing in the AHL with the Bridgeport Islanders, Salo had much more success and showed that there is potential in his game. In 40 games, Salo posted four goals and 16 assists.

While with the big club, you could see flashes of what made Salo a former second-round pick. He adds another dimension of offense and is a sound skater which the Islanders' blue line is severely lacking.

If Lamoriello ultimately decides that Salo is the best option for the Islanders' top-6, it is likely he will also look to sign a veteran depth defenseman to add to the group.

PK Subban

Entering his fourteenth season in the NHL, could we possibly see the former Norris Trophy crossing the state line into New York? Now a grizzled veteran, PK Subban is clearly not the explosive player he once was. Over the past three season he has seen a decline in output, but that does not mean he still can't bring value to the team.

The former Montreal Canadiens blue liner has a similar style of play to another former Hab in Romanov. Both are very physical defensemen with a cannon of a slap shot. With Dobson likely to quarterback the Isles first powerplay unit, there could be potential to see both Romanov and Subban along the point of the second unit. Subban could be of great influence to the Islanders' newly acquired 22-year-old defenseman.

The days of Subban playing 20-plus minutes a night are long gone, but, he is still very capable of contributing 15-plus minutes and he maintains a veteran presence in the locker room. He's wouldn't be the sexy addition that the fan base was hoping for, but he would likely only demand between $2-$3 million on a short-term contract as the Isles are pressed against the cap ceiling. For the majority of his career, he's played on the right side, but the veteran has been around long enough to play fewer minutes on his off side.