Lamoriello Locks Up Four Islanders with Long Term Deals

Lou Lamoriello said he wanted to keep his pending unrestricted free agents and he made good on his promise, re-signing Pierre Engvall (7 years), Scott Mayfield (7 years) and Semyon Varlamov (4 years) to long-term deals on Saturday.

Additionally, Lamoriello also inked goalie Ilya Sorokin to an eight-year contract extension that will begin in 2024-25.

"The players wanted to come back and then we were just trying to work out a situation that's fair for both parties," Lamoriello said. "We're just extremely pleased that we were able to accomplish it."

The length of the deals were notable, with three of the four contracts signed for seven years or longer. While financial terms were not released, per team policy, Lamoriello said that decision was in part to bring down the average annual value of the deals as teams continue to deal with the ramifications of a relatively flat salary cap over the past few years.

"I think that's fair to say," Lamoriello said. "You sort of judge to keep the AAV down where a player would be today and the first several years of the contract and then where they might be, in the latter part of the contract and try and get it so it's a manageable number on both ends."

See below for Lamoriello's insights on the four deals, as well as the Islanders remaining free agents.

On Ilya Sorokin

Sorokin was already under contract for the 2023-24 season, but Lamoriello didn't waste any time locking up his stud goaltender, who finished second in Vezina Trophy voting this past season.

"We wanted Ilya to be here," Lamoriello said. "There's no better time to do it than prior to training camp or prior to any part of the season. Once you get along in the season, it's a distraction and this will not be a distraction to anyone. We certainly wanted him back so why not try and get it done right now and that was the focus."

Lamoriello said he didn't want Sorokin to have any uncertainty of playing on an expiring deal, or to have to field any extra media pressure.

"You don't want a player of his statute to go into the last year of his contract," Lamoriello said. "I think it's a lot of pressure on the player. I think there would be a lot of media pressure on what his thoughts are and so forth… This takes away the mental aspect of it, so we're extremely pleased with that. I think we all know the type of goaltender he is."

In 136 career games over three seasons with the Islanders, he's posted a 70-46-18 record with 16 shutouts, a 2.34 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage. Sorokin led the NHL with six shutouts this past season.

On Semyon Varlamov

Strong goaltending is key to Lamoriello's team building philosophy and the Islanders crease is set for the long term. Sorokin is under contract for the next nine seasons, while Varlamov is poised to be his backup for the next four. Varlamov, who led the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Final in the 2020 playoffs, has served as a mentor and partner with Sorokin since Sorokin came stateside.

Lamoriello cited the relationship between Sorokin and Varlamov as one of the key reasons to bring back the veteran.

"Unless you were here, you really couldn't appreciate the communication and the help they are to each other, both on and off the ice," Lamoriello said. "There's tremendous respect and love for each other and I think you can see that in how they appreciate the performance of the person who's in the game goal that night, how they greet each other. So Varly has been a tremendous mentor for Ilya and Ilya a tremendous teammate to Varly as far as looking up to him."

When asked about any concerns of giving a 35-year-old Varlamov a four-year deal, Lamoriello said Varlamov's conditioning, off-ice preparation and recovery regimens are as good as he's seen around the league.

"He is a consummate pro both on and off the ice," Lamoriello said. "He might be a 35-year-old but I've seen a lot of 26-and-27-year-olds I wish were in the shape that he is in."

In 135 career games with the Islanders, Varlamov has a 59-51-14 record. He's also played 34 playoff games with the Islanders, twice leading the club to the Conference Final. Varlamov's 18 playoff wins with the Islanders are second in franchise history behind Billy Smith.

On Scott Mayfield

For Mayfield, the long-term deal keeps the homegrown product on Long Island, and keeps the Islanders d-corps intact. Mayfield's deal runs through the 2029-30 season, expiring the same year as fellow homegrown stalwarts in Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech.

Lamoriello cited Mayfield's physical play and penalty killing as reasons he wanted to re-up the gritty defenseman. The 30-year-old led the team in total time-on-ice (1724:22) and shorthanded time-on-ice (220:58), while finishing second on the team in average ice-time per game (21:02). He led the team with 168 blocked shots, which placed 10th overall in the NHL.

"He is an unheralded sort of player in what he does and what he brings, the minutes that he takes up and also the physicality that he brings to the game," Lamoriello said. "He plays in every defensive situation, and also is a top penalty killer, so he was an important person. He doesn't do it with glamour, he does it in an efficient way."

Mayfield also set career-highs in goals (6), assists (18) and points (24) last season with the Islanders.

On Pierre Engvall

On the one hand, Lamoriello saw what he needed to see in a small sample size with Engvall and the Islanders. Engvall had nine points (5G, 4A) in 18 games after being acquired, as well as two points (1G, 1A) in six playoff games, and formed an effective partnership with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri.

"He brings speed to the game and he's got outstanding range," Lamoriello said. "He has hockey sense and I think he's only going to get better and better."

On the other hand, Lamoriello was also evaluating the growth in Engvall's game since the Swedish forward was a prospect in the Toronto Maple Leafs system, back when Lamoriello was the Leafs GM.

"He's had tremendous growth," Lamoriello said. "You're going to find dividends in this young man."

Engvall should have plenty of opportunity with the Islanders that may have not been available to him with a super top-heavy Maple Leafs team.

On Oliver Wahlstrom and Zach Parise

Zach Parise's future remains up in the air, as the veteran forward has not made a decision on his playing future. Parise has indicated that it's New York or nowhere and Lamoriello is giving him time to make that decision.

"There's nothing new at this point, but Zach will always fit on this roster," Lamoriello said. "We know his situation. If he is not back it is because of spending time with his family. And I know he's spending a lot of time with his family, but we'll have an answer for that in the very near future."

Oliver Wahlstrom is currently a restricted free agent, so signing him was not the top priority on the first day of unrestricted free agency, but is on the summer to-do list. Lamoriello said that Wahlstrom, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, has resumed skating.

"He is healthy, skating and certainly will be ready 100% ready for training camp," Lamoriello said. "We're excited to have him back and he'll certainly add to that offensive part of the game."

Parker Wotherspoon Signs in Boston

Parker Wotherspoon, who was a group 6 UFA heading into Saturday, inked a two-way deal with the Boston Bruins. The defenseman was drafted by the Islanders in 2015, spending eight years in the organization, largely with the Bridgeport Islanders. Wotherspoon made his NHL debut this season, playing 12 games and recording one assist. Wotherspoon accumulated 108 points (22G, 86A) and 365 PIMs in 293 games with Bridgeport.

Cole Bardreau, Jeff Kubiak, Richard Panik and Cory Schneider are currently unsigned, unrestricted free agents.