As the New York Islanders prepare for the 2021-22 season, there has been much turnover in the first weeks of the offseason. A key piece to the Islanders’ defense, Nick Leddy, was traded to the Detroit Red Wings for Richard Panik and a 2021 second-round pick, and Andrew Ladd’s contract and futures were traded to the Arizona Coyotes.

While Ladd was in a relatively minor role after injuries greatly diminished his ability, the loss of Leddy looms large for now. Even with a hefty cap hit of $5.5 million for two more years, Leddy was one of the Islanders’ top four players on defense. His pairing with Scott Mayfield was a stable second unit for Barry Trotz, and Leddy was one of the team’s better skaters as well.

Due to a flat salary cap, Leddy was deemed a cap casualty and had to be moved with several notable names needing new contracts, Anthony Beauvillier and Adam Pelech to name a couple. As a result, the Islanders will need to be active in the market to find a replacement for his spot. Despite the questions looming, for now, there are several targets the Islanders could push for on the market and from within.

Outside the organization, unrestricted free agency has an obvious target in Ryan Suter. Following his buyout from the Minnesota Wild, he and fellow teammate Zach Parise were projected to be targeted by the Islanders once free agency opens. Although on the older side at age 36, he checks several boxes for the void: left-hand shot, solid offensive play, and capable defensively as well. Although his analytics defensively may have lagged a bit this year, he had a 29th percentile even-strength defense rating, Trotz’s structure can more than likely help with that. (*Stats per JFreshHockey)

After Suter, several other left-handed defensemen are available on the market. Some of the names available include Ryan Murray, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Alec Martinez. Even though they may not be the same player as Suter, the latter two options have upside in the form of Stanley Cup wins, adding some skill along with experience to the lineup.

However, if the Islanders want to devote more of their focus to the offense, there is an intriguing in-house option that makes sense. Samuel Bolduc, a second-round pick in 2019, has made strides in his development as of late. His years with the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) saw him make strides as an offensive defenseman. His highest offensive totals in Junior hockey hit nine goals and 28 assists for 37 points, but it came at the expense of a -32 plus/minus rating. However, his final year, split between Blainville-Boisbriand and the Sherbrooke Phoenix, saw his defense massively improve, not only putting up 11 goals and 32 assists, but also a +13 rating.

Even in a shortened season with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League (AHL) this season, Bolduc still impressed, having an All-Star season with six goals and eight helpers for 14 points in 24 games. With Bolduc adjusting to the professional level, his position in the depth chart rose considerably with his performance. Even if he isn’t guaranteed to arrive next season, he can continue developing and be the first man up from Bridgeport if needed.

Although the Islanders are in a unique position after losing Nick Leddy, they have several options at their disposal. There is a bounty of free agent defensemen at the ready for them to make a push to sign, and Bolduc has the repertoire to succeed at the next level. With a flat salary cap in play once again and several pending free agents to sign, it will be interesting to see what move the Islanders make.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.