Islanders Have Decisions Looming on 5 Key Players – The Hockey Writers –

Sometimes NHL franchises are forced to part ways with pieces they want to keep. That’s the reality of the hard salary cap in place since the 2005-06 season, which forces both small and large market teams to pay attention to short and long-term player contract obligations.

Related: Islanders’ Top Offseason Priority Should Be Steven Stamkos

The Islanders find themselves in an uncomfortable position. The team needs to get better after three disappointing seasons in a row – but only has $5.34 million in cap space this offseason to work with, according to CapFriendly. Without question, president and general manager Lou Lamoriello deserves his share of the blame for failing to properly manage the cap.

To move forward, the Islanders will need to retool the roster – and that might mean losing multiple players that have become fan favorites. Below is a list of names the Islanders need to consider moving.

Ilya Sorokin

Most fans would be shocked if this move happened – especially a year after signing an eight-year mega deal worth $66 million. But there’s an argument to be had on why the organization may want to consider pulling the trigger. For one, Ilya Sorokin’s no-movement clause will kick in on July 1, meaning the Russian goaltender won’t be able to be traded anywhere or sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL) without his consent.

While Sorokin is due for a bounce-back after last season’s struggles, some argue that teams shouldn’t commit a large portion of the cap to goaltenders. Recent history tells us teams don’t need an elite goaltender to win – but somebody competent such as the prime versions of Jordan Binnington, Marc Andre Fleury, and Braden Holtby, who are good enough to get the job done.

Trading away Sorokin’s $8.25 million cap hit would give the organization major relief to go out and get themselves an elite scorer for Mathew Barzal. However, the team would have a huge hole to fill in the net, and getting a competent goaltender is easier said than done. Trading Sorokin is unlikely to happen since Lamoriello, who approved the massive extension, will be back for at least another season – but it’s an interesting debate before free agency begins.

Anders Lee

Anders Lee has had an up-and-down relationship with Islanders fans. The Minnesota native was beloved after getting named captain following the…