The Islanders have some work to do this offseason. Landing a “big fish” should happen this summer. Although the Islanders still have north of 20 games remaining, their playoff hopes sit at 0.3% as of March 29 on MoneyPuck.com so it’s not too early to look ahead at the offseason. There are many options on the free-agent market that the Islanders can pursue. Let’s take a look at three of the off-season’s bigger names.

Johnny Gaudreau

Johnny Gaudreau is a name most Islander fans would love to see in the blue and orange next season. Gaudreau, who’s a UFA during the offseason, would help solve the Islanders’ lack of offensive efficiently instantly. Through 65 games, Gaudreau has 30 goals and 60 assists for 90 points. To put that in perspective, Brock Nelson leads the Islanders with 46 points, so Gaudreau, who is on a dominant Calgary Flames team, has almost double the Islanders’ leader. Placing Gaudreau with Mathew Barzal will really show Barzal’s top potential as we have seen before. Barzal recorded 85 points in his rookie season. He is an elite player, but he needs a top-of-the-line winger to prove and Gaudreau can solve that.

Filip Forsberg

Filip Forsberg would also be someone the Islanders might have an interest in. Forsberg, currently with the Nashville Predators, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Forsberg has 37 goals and 28 assists for 65 points. If Forsberg was on the Islanders, he would lead the team in both goals and points. Just like Johnny Gaudreau, Forsberg would also make an immediate impact. A top-line forward is a priority for the Islanders and Forsberg is a candidate to fill that role just like Gaudreau.

John Klingberg – Defensemen

The Islanders need a strong puck-moving defenseman and Dallas Stars pending UFA John Klingberg could potentially fill that hole. Klingberg has been one of the top defensemen in the National Hockey League, and also has a high offensive upside. This season, Klingberg has only scored four times but has registered 34 assists, which would lead the Islanders. Klingberg could also make an impact on special teams as he has 17 points on the power play this season.

All statistics are as of March 31, 2022.

Jacob

Writer for Drive4Five covering the New York Islanders.