Losing their second captain to free agency in two years isn’t a great look for the New York Islanders. They’re trying to rebuild their brand and become a destination. Losing their captain again doesn’t help that goal.
With the free agency window effectively opening on June 26th, the New York Islanders only have two weeks to get their captain Anders Lee signed before other teams can talk to him.
From everything we know up to date, the hold up is due to the term of the deal. Arthur Staple originally reported (subscription required) that the Islanders wanted the contract to be four or five years.