As the 2022 offseason will soon begin for the New York Islanders, they have quite a few questions to answer regarding their roster. One of the major questions about their plans is whether or not they will go all in on a major free agent forward. Names like Filip Forsberg and Johnny Gaudreau are available on the forward market, and adding one of these players could boost an offense which is a point of concern. However, the Islanders will also need to inquire about free agent defensemen due to several emerging problems.

Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene are both free agents and could either retire or leave for another team. While Scott Mayfield will likely be back next season — he suffered a season-ending injury in March — to round out the right-hand side of their defense, the Islanders will need to address the left side this offseason. With this in mind, the Islanders have a few free agent defensemen available to look at this offseason.

Brett Kulak:

The first candidate on this list is an underrated commodity in Brett Kulak. Kulak, 28, checks many boxes for the Islanders’ needs. For one, he is very dedicated to his position, filling his role as a defensive defenseman very well. He was one of the best defensemen on the Montreal Canadiens before being traded at the Trade Deadline to the Edmonton Oilers. Since joining the Oilers, he has helped round out their defense, putting up a +6. While the offensive numbers — four goals and 15 assists — may not light the world on fire, if the Islanders want to find a compliment to Mayfield, Kulak could be their guy.

Mark Giordano:

The next candidate could be another possible mentor for Noah Dobson on the bottom-pair. Mark Giordano spent this year split between the Seattle Kraken and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he has played at a fine level as a 38-year-old. In 74 games this season, Giordano has posted eight goals and 24 assists for 32 points, and has maintained a fine level of defensive play. While his plus minus is fairly low at -12, most of it is due to a -21 ranking on a Seattle team with questionable goaltending.

Since joining Toronto, that number has jumped to +9, showing that he still can defend at a quality level. The one concern about this scenario though is his age, as he is getting fairly close to 40. As a result, this could be a scenario where Greene is replaced with another version of himself, so the Islanders may want to proceed with caution in this case. However, Giordano still provide experience and quality defense that could help the Islanders next season.

Olli Maatta:

The last name the Islanders could target in free agency is Olli Maatta — who provides a little bit of each player above. Maatta, 27, brings a lot of experience and high quality play. In his early years with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Maatta won two Stanley Cups and was a key piece to the Penguins’ defense. He has since jumped around a bit to Chicago and now Los Angeles, but he has become a very good defenseman. Like Kulak, the offensive numbers are very low — one goal and six assists. However, the plus-minus sits at +16, good for fourth on the Kings. He has been a key piece to Los Angeles’ breakout year, and the Islanders’ bringing him in can greatly help their defense. Adding his defense can help their structure, and the Stanley Cup Playoff experience can bring a lot if the Islanders make the playoffs next season.

Other Names:

There are another names available. Two former Islanders in Calvin de Haan and Nick Leddy will be hitting the open market this offseason, and a reunion could be in the cards. Other names available also include Ryan Murray and a resurgent Ben Chiarot in Florida.

With the names available, the Islanders will strongly need to consider signing at least one of these candidates. With the holes the team currently has, to get a defensively responsible player could help Barry Trotz’s structure tremendously. While we don’t know who is on the Islanders’ radar as of right now, these free agent defensemen are some great choices as the Islanders address their roster heading into next season.

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.