We’ve seen what the Isles have heading into this pivotal offseason. How about what they don’t have? Who is out there that can push the Islanders into the NHL Eastern Conference elite, either via free agency or trade?
It’s not even June, so the names listed below are simply culled from the group of pending unrestricted and restricted free agents. Everyone still is property of their current team until noon on July 1, though other teams can start contacting pending UFAs on June 25, the day after the NHL Draft, and pending RFAs on June 28.
Restricted free agents require either a trade or that most rare of NHL transactions, the offer sheet.