While the New York Islanders still have yet to announce any major transactions or signings this summer — continuing to build the mysterious cloud over Lou Lamoriello’s camp — but there appears to be a big signing on the horizon.
According to The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta appearing on TSN Radio Tuesday morning, the signing of Nazem Kadri is seen as a “formality” at this point. The deal is believed to be seven years.
“I have no doubt that he won’t be with the Islanders,” Pagnotta said. “They pretty much have that set in. It’s a formality from what I’ve heard.”
It certainly makes sense given the silence from his camp on the matter throughout the offseason. Connections to almost any other team around the NHL team would be leaked to the media throughout the first six weeks of free agency. This also confirms a report from amNewYork last week that suggested the probability of Kadri headed to the Islanders was high.
Kadri, 31, is coming off a career season with the Stanley Cup-winning Colorado Avalanche in which he posted 29 goals and 58 assists for 87 points. He’ll be added to the Islanders’ dearth of centers, though it can be speculated that one of them — like Jean-Gabriel Pageau — could be moved to create the proper cap space.
That is the only thing that is believed to be holding up an official announcement seeing as Lamoriello has to figure out a way to fit Kadri’s contract, which could carry a hit of $7 million AAV, and shed a larger contract like Pageau’s, Josh Bailey’s (both $5 million AAV) or Anthony Beauvillier’s ($4.15 million).
All of this has to be done while retaining key restricted free agents like defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Radulov — the latter acquired by Lamoriello at the 2022 NHL Draft last month from the Montreal Canadiens — and forward Kieffer Bellows.
For more on the Islanders and Nazem Kadri, visit AMNY.com
