Grading 2023 Islanders’ Contract Extensions 1 Season Later

Comparing Barzal’s deal to others of a similar caliber, such as Jack Eichel, Robert Thomas, Dylan Larkin, and Mark Scheifele shows he is getting paid approximately market value. Well, a market that rarely sees players of Barzal’s ability. The contract itself is closer to a B-plus or A-minus in terms of value, but the guarantee of possessing a player of his worth for as long as the Islanders are going to raise the grade to an A.

Bo Horvat, B+

The man who holds a lot of the responsibility for helping take Barzal’s game to the next level is Horvat. Acquired in a blockbuster deal that sent out top prospect Aatu Raty, fan-favorite Anthony Beauvillier, and a first-round selection, the bar was set extremely high for Horvat. He was coming off a career year spent primarily with the Canucks, and fans worried if he could continue his success. Short answer, he did.

The $8.5 million AAV is fair value for Horvat, as a 30-plus goal, 65-plus point center who is reliable at both ends of the ice and can win faceoffs is a valuable asset. The only knock on the contract is the term. He will be 36 years old by the time it expires, a steep price to be paying a forward unlikely to be worth that salary. While the argument could be made the Islanders should not be worried about the future when now is their best time to build a special team, signing Horvat for so long was a gamble. However, there is no world in which Horvat would sign for a shorter term with any team, so the Islanders gave him what they had to to retain him. Only time will tell how the contract ages, but for now, it is a fair deal.

Ilya Sorokin, B-

It was a down year for Ilya Sorokin, coming off of a runner-up finish in the Vezina Trophy race last season. To garner an eight-year, $8.25 million AAV contract as a goaltender takes a lot, but Sorokin was worth it. When he is on his game he is a top-three goaltender in the NHL, and it is nearly impossible to find someone who can steal wins on any given night the way he can.

Unfortunately for the Islanders, he had a down year, making the contract that will go into effect this summer look bad. If the Islanders were to have waited until now to begin negotiation talks, he likely would have only fetched $7 million AAV on a five or six-year deal.

While Sorokin was far from himself, the defensive play in front of him was horrific. Night in and night out he was getting pummeled with shots. The injury-riddled defense and lack of defensive scheme in the first half of the season tired him out, leading to a second half riddled with fatigue.

Patrick Roy’s tenure as head coach led to promising growth in Sorokin’s performance, but a summer filled with rest is what he needs most. While the contract receives a B- for now, it is likely to improve if the Islanders can have a better defense in any aspect moving forward.

Semyon Varlamov, B+

A free agent last season, the 36-year-old has been a great Islanders goaltender since initially signing with the team in 2019. Semyon Varlamov’s first contract in New York was a four-year deal at $5 million AAV, and his new deal is four years once again but at $2.75 million.

The price is good for the accomplished goaltender, as the $2 million to $3 million range is market value for good backup goaltenders and he is among the best in the league. He is also still at a point in his career where he could be a reliable starting goaltender when needed, as evidenced by his late-season and playoff run. However, the Islanders did not need to spend that much money on a goaltender when there were other holes to fill.

That extra $1 million to $2 million the Islanders could have saved on his contract by bringing in a free-agent backup goaltender would have come in handy in solidifying the bottom six, a major issue that was prevalent in the team’s Round 1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Also, the team is old enough already and does not need to be paying a backup goaltender on a four-year term until he is 39 years old. If the deal were to be one or two years, it would have been much better. While the Islanders will regret the decision down the road, for now, it is a solid deal since it prolonged their season. Due to the recent highs and inevitable lows, he receives a B-plus grade.

Pierre Engvall, D+

Pierre Engvall’s tenure as an Islander began in exciting fashion. He was acquired for just a third-round pick from the Toronto Maple Leafs and had five goals and nine points in 18 games with the Islanders last season. This led to him extending at $3 million for seven years. A career depth player who had amassed 10 goals in a season just once prior, had earned a seven-year contract with a 16-team no-trade clause.

This contract has put a heavy burden on Engvall’s back as the deal was immediately scrutinized by fans. It is rare to see depth players sign for such a long term, and doing so with a no-trade clause made it all the more polarizing. One season down and Engvall has not done much to warrant the term or AAV. He spent the majority of the season on the second line before being demoted to the bottom six where he slightly improved his play. His inconsistency made each game a headache for fans, but he did have flashes of brilliance. While it is great for Engvall to pocket such a hefty contract, it is hard to imagine he will ever live up to its price.

Scott Mayfield, D-

The biggest issue with the contract is not Scott Mayfield’s 2023-24 performance, it is the team’s complete lack of need for him. Ryan Pulock has been signed to a long-term contract extension for a few seasons, and Noah Dobson is the face of the franchise and is going to sign a long-term extension soon. That is two right-handed defensemen with permanent roles in the top four, leaving Mayfield stuck on the third pair making $3.5 million, a hefty price for someone set to play 18 or fewer minutes a night on average. Additionally, the seven-year term and full no-trade clause until the 2026-27 season make it a brutal contract for Islanders fans to look at. While Mayfield’s play is bound to improve next season, it is unfathomable in the current financial situation for the contract to age well.

As the Islanders head into what could be an eventful offseason, it is a great time to look at how the recent signings have panned out. While there are no major pending free agents on the Islanders, they are poised to make a splash in free agency, so learning from their previous mistakes and decisions could help create a better path moving forward for other signings.