Islanders Face $21M Cap Crunch in Bid To Keep Core Players

With $21 million to spend, the New York Islanders must tackle a tricky puzzle before next season starts. They've got the first pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, but money talks are the big story right now.

Noah Dobson's next deal sits at the top of their to-do list. His numbers dipped to 39 points across 71 games this past year, quite a drop from his stellar 70-point run before that. Injuries kept him off the ice more than anyone wanted.

The bright spot? Simon Holmström lit up the scoreboard. The young gun blasted past his old stats, netting 20 goals and adding 25 assists. That's nearly double what he did the year before. At just 23, he's turned into one of the team's best scorers.

Things aren't so clear with Alexander Romanov. The D-man had a rough time staying healthy and keeping pucks out of the net. He might end up as trade bait.

Mid-season pickup Tony DeAngelo made his mark fast. In just 35 games, he put up 19 points while playing big minutes on the back end. Now they've got to decide if he stays.

The team might ship out Jean-Gabriel Pageau and his $5 million price tag. That cash could help bring in fresh blood.

The defense needs fixing, they've got six guys signed, and Romanov's still a question mark. Mathieu Darche and his staff must pick: stick with what they know or mix things up.

Matt Martin, Mike Reilly, and Hudson Fasching filled in when needed last year. They're all looking for new deals too.

That first pick in the draft could bring in a game-changer. But one rookie won't fix everything: there's work to do across the board.