Report: NY Islanders working on extended UFA Kyle Palmieri

New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello may have traded Brock Nelson to Colorado last night, but that doesn't mean he wanted his team to be sellers. As the clock ticks towards the NHL trade deadline at 3 PM EST, multiple reports indicated that the Islanders were working on a multi-year extensions with UFA Kyle Palmieri, prefering to keep him on Long Island despite an enticing seller's market that has seen players with worse numbers get moved for 2nd round picks or more.

Following Thursday night's trade of Nelson, reports showed that the Islanders had offered the veteran center a three-year extension with an annual AAV of over $7M. If true, that means that Lamoriello was not looking to sell either of his coveted UFAs and was again leaning towards running things back with the same core that has produced similar results over the last four seasons.

Palmieri scored 30 goals last season and has 20 goals and 21 assists in 61 games. He has been able to stay healthy and productive in the previous two seasons, but there is still risk involved in giving a multi-year contract with someone in their mid-30s. However, Lamoriello apparently believes that the team can build back up and fill the void left by Nelson during the summer to compete for a playoff spot next season and beyond while prospects become NHL-ready.

It's a strategy that will be criticized and it's the action of a GM that is planning to be in his seat next year and overseeing much of the same core he has built over the last six years.