Anders Lee, Islanders Captain, Bolting For Free Agency?

According to a report by NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, it appears as though there’s a solid chance the New York Islanders will be losing their captain this summer. LeBrun reports that talks between the two sides aren’t going well, and there’s a feeling that Anders Lee will test unrestricted free agency on July 1.

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LeBrun writes:

“Looking like Anders Lee is preparing to hit free agency. His agent Neil Sheehy met with Isles GM Mathieu Darche today. Both sides far apart. The Isles intend to keep trying, they want their captain back. But Lee appears most likely headed to market at the moment. Obviously things…”

It will be intriguing to see what Lee is asking for. He was making $7 million per season, and while that’s not an outlandish number for what he brought during that run, to expect anything close now might be a reach. He’s 35 years old, and his last three seasons saw 19, 29, and 20 goals, respectively. He’s good for around 20 goals and 45-55 points, but his numbers are likely to drop as he gets older.

Is this about salary per year or term? It would be a bit of a risk to give him multiple seasons, but on a one or two-year deal, you know what you’re going to get.

There will be interest in the winger. He’s likely a third-line guy on a deep team, meaning there’s a limit to what teams might be willing to spend. He’s got size and averaged just over 15 minutes per game this past season.

Lee has spent his entire 14-year NHL career with the Islanders after being drafted in the sixth round in 2009. He has expressed his desire to remain with the team and try to reach the 1,000-game milestone there.

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