NY Islanders Expressed Interest in Free Agent Early On This Summer

The New York Islanders reportedly expressed interest in an appealing free agent earlier this summer.

Feb 26, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; View of a New York Islanders logo on a jersey worn by a member of the team during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the offseason continues for the New York Islanders, the team is continuing to make some minor moves to improve the depth of the team. Even though a major splash might not be coming, there are still some options available to improve. 

Coming off a surprisingly good year in which they totaled 91 points, the Islanders were an interesting team to watch this summer. New York wasn’t in a strong cap situation, and while they have a plethora of prospects to pull off a trade or two to get better, the focus seems to remain on the future. 

With a generational talent like Matthew Schaefer, being patient and building the young talent around him certainly makes a lot of sense. However, if the right free agent is available that could help the team, it would be an avenue worth exploring. 

Stefen Rosner of The Elmonters recently wrote that the Islanders had conversations already with free agent Patrik Laine, but that they might not be interested in offering him more than a PTO. 

Laine Could Help if Healthy

Oct 16, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing Patrik Laine (92) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Nashville Predators at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With not too many free agents left on the board, Laine is one of the more appealing ones out there. However, as expected with him still being available, there are some concerns. 

While Laine can still be an effective player when healthy, being healthy has been the major problem. In the last three years, he has played in just 75 games, which is obviously not a good thing to see. 

However, what makes him appealing is that he can put the puck in the net. During the 2024-25 season, Laine scored 20 goals in 52 games, proving that he can still be a solid player in the league. 

For the Islanders, scoring is certainly an area that they will go into the year having some concerns with, and Laine could be an option to help with that.

While there was clearly some interest, considering the team reached out according to Rosner, what type of contract he would receive would be the major sticking point.  

Even though not all of the options are great for New York, they do have a good amount of depth at the forward spot. With a mix of veterans and young players, Peter DeBoer is going to have options. 

Overall, Laine would certainly be an appealing player to bring in for next season. If he were able to stay healthy, he could end up being one of the best goal scorers on the team. However, that is a bit of an if.