When the unfortunate news broke that Johnny Boychuk’s career was over, some Islanders fans realized that cap space would be freed due to the circumstances. The New York Islanders are in dire need of cap relief, as a key restricted free-agent remains unsigned. While some fans will want to target remaining free agents left on the market like Mike Hoffman or Anthony Duclair, some will argue that re-signing the remaining RFA in the organization is the best course of action. Regardless of the direction the Islanders go, it should prove beneficial to the franchise, but let’s take a look at some of the directions the Islanders could take with the cap space that was freed up with the unfortunate Boychuk news.

Free Agent Hunting

Surprisingly, no new free agents signing have broken in quite a long time, and this may be due to the players waiting to see whether there will be a 2020-21 NHL season. With these questions still in the air, it may be hard to convince a player to sign for cheap, but with the Islanders’ newfound cap space, they might not have to sign players to the extreme bargains they would have to. Obviously, signing a player to a low cap hit is ideal, but it is doubtful these players will be willing to take millions less than what they are worth. 

The Islanders could potentially outbid a team by a million or two, depending on the quality of the player. A quality player could be Mike Hoffman, who is a consistent point scorer and consistently contributed to Florida’s offense over the past years, or all-star Anthony Duclair.

Relatively big names remain on the market, and with an abundance of freed cap space, the Islanders have the ability to make a run at a significant player and improve the team drastically. The question becomes whether they can afford to depend on what the RFA’s get, which leads us to the other route the Isles could take. 

Signing Barzal/Standing Pat

What is probably the smarter option of the two, signing Mathew Barzal and keeping this team together is most likely best. The tantalizing thought of bringing in new free agents always looms, but in reality, it can lead to more harm than good. Signing Mathew Barzal to an extension is a topic that has been discussed for months, but is still a discussion to be had since it hasn’t happened. The cap hit can be speculated, but no matter what it is, it will make a large dent into the cap structure of this team. 

The issue is whether or not Lou Lamoriello is happy standing pat. Is this team good enough to compete for a Stanley Cup if they just bring back Barzal? They have displayed the ability to make deep playoff runs such as last season with their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. Regardless of the decision, the Islanders will either be returning with a team that made the final-four or with new, intriguing players to get fans excited.

John Smark