Wild Expressed Major Interest in NY Islanders Star Anders Lee

To little surprise, the Minnesota Wild were one of the teams interested in Anders Lee this summer.

Mar 17, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) skates during the warmup before a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the offseason continues for the New York Islanders, there will be plenty of time to reflect on the moves made this summer. 

Coming off a campaign in which they just missed the playoffs, the Islanders will be an interesting team to monitor this coming year. New York is led by their emerging young star Matthew Schaefer and one of the best goalies in the NHL in Ilya Sorokin. 

This combination helped turn what figured to be a bit of a rebuild around quickly for the team in the first season under new general manager Mathieu Darche. Even though they came up short of making the playoffs, they did exceed expectations. However, even though things might turn around quicker than expected, the new GM will still be trying to reshape a roster for the Islanders that did need a bit of a reset. 

While the team wasn’t super active in free agency, they did see one of their key players for many years leave in free agency. 

Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription required) recently spoke with Anders Lee and spoke about what free agency was like for him. As expected, his hometown team of the Minnesota Wild did reach out to him. 

Wild Were Strong Fit for Lee

Mar 5, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) in the third period against the LA Kings at Crypto.com Arena. / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When things were starting to look like they were going to be coming to an end with the Islanders, one of the most logical fits for Lee was the Wild. As his hometown team, going there would provide some nostalgia, but they were also a franchise coming off a successful season. 

However, despite the Wild being one of the many teams that were interested in him, Lee elected to sign a three-year deal with the Utah Mammoth. He should have a strong role with his new team, and being in their top six feels like a possibility. 

Furthermore, while his role will be important, so too is the length of the contract. At 35 years old, this could be Lee’s last deal. While it would have been great to see him play and end his entire career with the Islanders, that wasn’t meant to be. 

With New York going in a new direction, how Lee performs with his new team will certainly be something to keep an eye on. It was a major decision to let him leave in free agency, and while it might be what’s best long-term, it will be analyzed heavily early.