Anders Lee's Time On Long Island Reaches A Fork In The Road As Free Agency Looms

The New York Islanders have not come to terms on an extension with pending unrestricted free agent forward and captain Anders Lee, at least, not yet.

Stefen Rosner, David Kolb, and The Elmonters

Jun 23, 2026

**PHOTO: Dennis DaSilva / New York Islanders**

Despite what you may have read on X yesterday, the New York Islanders have not come to terms on an extension with pending unrestricted free agent forward and captain Anders Lee, at least not yet.

That doesn’t mean the two sides won’t get there before July 1. It doesn’t mean they won’t get there after July 1.

But as of right now, there is no deal.

The latest report on Lee’s status came on June 5 when NHL insider Pierre LeBrun shared that the soon-to-be 36-year-old was likely headed toward testing free agency.

That report piggybacked on LeBrun’s June 3 report, which noted mutual interest between the two sides but also a sizeable gap.

From what I’ve gathered, the biggest hurdle doesn’t appear to be money.

It appears to be term.

And honestly, that shouldn’t surprise anyone.

General manager Mathieu Darche has made it clear since taking over that he wants the Islanders to maintain flexibility moving forward. While he added veterans like Brayden Schenn, 34, and Ondrej Palat, 35, those moves were made with the goal of helping the team return to the playoffs, not changing the organization’s long-term vision.

Committing multiple years to a player entering his age-36 season doesn’t necessarily align with that vision, regardless of who that player is.

At the same time, it’s easy to understand Lee’s side. Lee has spent his entire NHL career with the Islanders. He’s been the captain since 2018, remains one of the league’s most respected leaders, and is still capable of scoring 20 goals.

If this is his final opportunity at securing term, why wouldn’t he want it?

The Islanders may not view Lee as a top-six player at this stage of his career, but this is also a team that has struggled to score goals consistently. As much as Lee may not be a top-six player anymore, can a team that lacks goal scoring really afford to lose a 20-goal scorer over a disagreement on one year?

That’s a question Darche has to answer.

The Islanders also have to determine how much opportunity they want to create for younger players. Victor Eklund appears destined to push for a roster spot, while the Islanders may want to give Max Shabanov more of a runway.

Darche has repeatedly talked about creating opportunities for younger players to thrive, not just survive. Every roster decision this summer should be viewed through that lens.

Then there’s the reality of the market. If Lee reaches July 1, there will be teams interested. For a contender looking to add leadership, size, net-front presence, and secondary scoring, Lee checks a lot of boxes.

The Islanders want flexibility, focusing on 2026-27 before the years that follow. Lee wants security, and while he would probably want more than two years, I’m sure he would settle for that if it came to the table.

One thing working in favor of a reunion is that there is still meaningful history left to write. Lee sits 77 games away from reaching the 1,000-game milestone as a member of the Islanders, a milestone that would mean a great deal to both the player and the organization.

That’s obviously not a reason to sign a contract, but it’s another reason why the door isn’t closed.

The real question isn’t whether Lee can still help the Islanders. It’s whether the Islanders and their captain can find a contract length that works for both sides.

That said, I wouldn’t be shocked if the two sides eventually came to terms on a two-year extension.