The New York Islanders are lining up to have real spending power this summer, and that has put them in the conversation around one of the biggest names in the sport: Nikita Kucherov.
With the salary cap projected to jump to $113.5 million, the Islanders are looking at a roster situation that could open up nearly $40 million in room for major additions. Their current cap hit sits just above $102 million, and they already have more than $27 million in expiring deals. Ondrej Palat and Kyle Palmieri account for more than $10 million of that total alone.
That kind of flexibility gives general manager Mathieu Darche options, but it also raises the bigger question of how aggressive he plans to be. Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield add another layer to the picture, since both contracts move from full no-trade protection to 16-team lists.
The Kucherov rumors picked up after the Lightning released a statement saying they have no intention of trading him. Still, the chatter is out there, and the Islanders are an obvious team to watch because of Darche’s background in Tampa. He spent six years with the Lightning and was there for both of their Stanley Cup runs with Kucherov.
Reports have also said Kucherov wants to play with another superstar, and the Islanders can point to Matthew Schaefer as that kind of piece.
Pierre LeBrun was the first major insider to connect the Islanders directly to Kucherov, and he framed it this way: "GM Mathieu Darche has a relationship with Kucherov from his Tampa days. I fully expect they will try to be a player from a July 1 perspective."
The Islanders were included on a list of nine other teams, though LeBrun also noted that if Kucherov becomes available, plenty more clubs would want in. In his words, there would be 31 teams interested.
The wording matters here. LeBrun said the Islanders would try to be a player, which points more toward free agency than trade talks.
That fits with how Darche has operated so far, especially when it comes to keeping top prospects out of deals. With the roster pieces and future draft capital they have, that approach would make sense.
If Kucherov reaches free agency, the Islanders would likely be ready to make a serious offer. They could pitch him on joining a group that already includes Schaefer, superstar Russian goaltender Ilya Sorokin, and stars Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.
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For the Islanders, this is the kind of low-cost swing that can make sense if they want to keep adding speed and skill to the organization. They had shown interest in Lambert before, so the fit is not hard to imagine, but waiver claims are rarely straightforward. Even with a player they have already eyed, the Islanders may have to wait and see how the rest of the league responds before they get their turn. [Read more 🡒]
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Islanders Suddenly Face A Kucherov Question That Could Split Fans
The idea of Nikita Kucherov landing on Long Island is the kind of possibility that can instantly split a fan base, because the fit is obvious even if the price is not. A player of his caliber would change the look of the Islanders offense and give their power play a jolt, which is exactly the sort of swing move teams around the league dream about when the trade market starts to heat up.
Still, the path to making something like that happen is where the conversation gets complicated for New York. The Islanders are already navigating several key injuries, and any serious pursuit would likely mean parting with a meaningful package of draft picks, prospects and maybe even roster players, which makes the debate as much about timing and depth as it is about talent. [Read more 🡒]