Many expected that the Islanders would trade their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) before Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline. That did not happen. In fact, not only did the Islanders not make a trade, they doubled down, giving forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Zach Parise extensions.

Clutterbuck signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract. Parise’s deal is for one-year and worth $1.5 million.

Clutterbuck has played 933 games with the Islanders since being acquired from the Minnesota Wild on June 30, 2013. He is in the final season of a five-year, $17.5 million deal — his new extension will pay him exactly half of his previous yearly salary.

“I’m thrilled to sign an extension and have that dealt with. Especially this time of the year,” Clutterbuck said. “It can be a real stressful time. Just thankful that it got done. [Long Island] is home for me.”

Parise, who has played in 1,120 NHL games, is in his first season with the Islanders after being bought out by the Wild last summer. He signed a one-year contract last offseason worth a $750,000, with an additional $750,000 in potential performance bonuses — his new average annual value will match that.

“[Islanders’ President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello and I] had spoke last summer about even then doing a two-year deal,” Parise said. “We did the one-year deal to start, but I was pretty confident I would be coming back. We had chatted again about it last week, and I am happy we were able to get it done.”

Clutterbuck and Parise were not the only pending UFAs on the Islanders. Andy Greene and Zdeno Chara — who are both free agents after this season — could have been traded, but they expressed a desire to be with the team for the rest of the season.

“Both felt that they made a commitment to this team. And unless I could get something, a high-end asset that would make us much better, they would hope that that would be looked at and that’s exactly what the end result was,” Lamoriello said. “But both have been extremely important in the development of Noah Dobson and will certainly be an asset going forward right now in helping with the immaturity of where we are right now as a group.”

The Islanders also held onto other trade targets, like Semyon Varlamov, Scott Mayfield, Josh Bailey, Kyle Palmieri and Anthony Beauvillier. Lamoriello said that Varlamov got a lot of attention, but he valued having the veteran goaltender alongside Ilya Sorokin.

While, the Islanders have struggled over the last few months — currently, they are 26-25-9, good for 23rd in the NHL with 61 points — Monday’s extensions signal Lamoriello is confident they can contend next year.

Now, the Islanders will try to finish the 2021-22 season strong, and see if they can prove Lamoriello right.

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