Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello’s three offseason moves over the weekend might have just made the front-runner for general manager of the year, three months before a single game of the 2021-22 NHL season has been played.

First, he shipped off long-time Islander defenseman Nick Leddy — and his $5.5 million yearly salary — to the Detroit Red Wings for a 2nd round pick (via Edmonton) and Richard Panik.

Secondly, he pulled off the impossible; trading Andrew Ladd, along with two 2nd rounders and a conditional 2023 3rd rounder, to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for future considerations. That frees the Isles of his $5.5 million yearly salary as well. The Islanders also keep the third-round pick if he plays at least a single game in 2022-23.

Lastly, in order to meet the Expansion Draft rules of the exposure of at least one defenseman who played at least 40 games last season, he signed Andy Greene to a one-year, $750,000 contract with performance bonuses.  

So, now that the Islanders have about $19 million in cap space and a glaring need for an offensive weapon, Lou has room to work his magic. However, the Islanders have very important players to sign such as Anthony Beauvillier, Adam Pelech, Ilya Sorokin, and Casey Cizikas. Assuming these players take up approximately $13-$14 million of the Islanders’ salary cap, here are some possible options for them front office to examine during the 2021 offseason.

Sign or Trade for a Big-Name Forward

Immediately, options such as Vladimir Tarasenko and Gabriel Landeskog, some of the biggest fish of the 2021 offseason, come to mind for the Islanders to pursue. 

Tarasenko is a sniper and a naturally gifted goal-scorer who would be perfect next to Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee. However, he is injury-prone and has a $7.5 million cap hit. The Blues are leaving Tarasenko unprotected for the Expansion Draft, showing that they have no intentions of keeping him on their roster for the upcoming season. Therefore, the Islanders would have to give up very little to acquire the 2019 Stanley Cup champion. If Lou and head coach Barry Trotz do not see a risk in acquiring Tarasenko, in my opinion, it is a no-brainer.

Landeskog showed he is more than just Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen’s shadow in the 2021 season by registering 52 points in 54 games. He is an unrestricted free agent on July 28 and has reportedly expressed interest in coming to Long Island. The Avalanche and their captain have been attempting to get a deal done, however, the two sides are apparently far from an agreement.

If the Islanders can clear a little more cap space, they can offer Landeskog the money he is looking for. Again, he would fit perfectly on the first line with Barzal and Lee. Hopefully, the Avalanche are going to continue to be stubborn and low-ball Landeskog so that the Islanders can steal their captain from them. 

Tarasenko and Landeskog are not the only options out there. Names such as Filip Forsberg and Sam Reinhart have been rumored to be on the trade block. For unrestricted free agency, the only name that stands out is Zach Hyman. However, I think a team will overpay for his services. If the Islanders choose to go down the route of finding a big-name player, I have no doubt Lou will find the right man for the job.

Be Aggressive in the UFA Market

Although there are not a ton of confirmed big-name players in free agency, there are a bunch of possible cheap options the Islanders could look at.

Offensively, the Islanders could look at winger Zach Parise. The Islanders were linked to Parise at the trade deadline. Additionally, this Lou has plenty of experience with Parise from their time together with the New Jersey Devils. Parise likely won’t carry a huge cap hit, he can be a serviceable winger alongside J-G Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom. 

Outside of Parise, the Islanders could examine the possibility of signing Taylor Hall or Mike Hoffman. Both were among the best free agents last offseason. Hall has publicly stated that he would like to re-sign with Boston, but if the two sides cannot find a deal it is a situation the Islanders should definitely pounce on. Hoffman is still only 31 years of age and is two seasons removed from being an extremely dangerous sniper. The Islanders could likely sign Hoffman for cheap and he could thrive on a third line next to Pageau. 

Defensively, the Islanders have to replace Nick Leddy and there are plenty of options to do so. Veterans Ryan Suter and Alexander Edler are both looking for new homes this offseason. They both will likely sign for cheaper than their market value. In my opinion, the Islanders should only look at these players if they spend big money on a forward.

However, if they do not spend big money on a forward, they can consider Mike Reilly. Reilly was a very solid defenseman for the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins this past season. It would definitely be an upgrade over Leddy on the 2nd pair alongside Scott Mayfield. If Lou wants to replace Leddy with another offensive defenseman, they can examine the market for Tyson Barrie. I do not think Barrie will be worth $5+ million, so I hope the Islanders stay away from him.

Stay In-House

The Islanders could try to re-sign Kyle Palmieri and keep the same group together that pushed the Tampa Bay Lightning to Game 7. However, Lou has shown this offseason that changes are happening, so I do not see him staying put.

My Realistic Ideal Lineup:

Forwards

Lee-Barzal-Eberle

Beauvillier-Nelson-Bailey

Parise-Pageau-Wahlstrom

Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

Defensemen

Pelech-Pulock

Reilly-Mayfield

Greene-Dobson

Goalies

Varlamov

Sorokin

John Smark