Islanders’ future plan comes into full focus after not going all-out to sign Anders Lee

Source: New York Post

The big number for the Islanders on the first day of free agency was $26. 53 million, as in the player payroll scheduled to come off their books one year from Wednesday, which is the date now crucial to the franchise’s future after general manager Mathieu Darche hit the gas on a short-term retool this week. Everything the Islanders did, and everything they didn’t do — namely compromise on term to bring back captain Anders Lee — was aimed not at building a playoff-contending roster for next season, but a Cup-contending roster in 2028 and beyond.