Islanders Captain Anders Lee’s Extension Expected, But Lots To Be Considered
Anders Lee did not receive an extension when the Islanders signed Jean-Gabriel Pageau. What could the Islanders captain’s next contract look like?
When New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche spoke to us about his decision to extend pending unrestricted free agent Jean-Gabriel Pageau to a three-year contract worth $4.85 million annually, it raised questions about team captain Anders Lee.
Why did Lee not get an extension at this time, and were extension talks ongoing with the 35-year-old?
“Anders has been outstanding. I’ve spoken with Anders, and I have the utmost respect for him as our captain,” Darche said. “I just went to him and said, with all the UFAs, we’d see where we are at the end of the year, and now we’re in a playoff spot.”
Darche continued: “You saw the market for centers the other day. Centers are in high demand, especially a right-shot centerman who wins 60 percent of his faceoffs and has playoff experience. When I saw where the market was going, I wanted to make sure I could get a deal done instead of gambling. I wanted something that works for both of us — something fair for me and fair for him. You want the player to feel good about what he signs.”
Lee has made it clear in our conversations that his focus has been on this season, helping the Islanders get back into the playoffs after missing last season.
The 14-year veteran has been in this spot before, back in 2019, when he didn’t ink an extension until July 1, signing a seven-year deal worth $7 million annually. That extension came on the first day of NHL Free Agency, after the Islanders tried to sign free agent Artemi Panarin.
Lee was patient then and has been patient now.
“Anders was great about it,” Darche said on the team prioritizing the Pageau extension at this point in time. “He’s a pro. It was important for me to have that discussion with him a few weeks ago about where we were going. When we pretty much had the deal done with Pageau, I made sure to sit down with him to explain why, and he understood.
“He was a true pro about it. He understands it’s about this year and going forward, and for me, it was about managing assets.”