Islanders’ GM wants to re-sign captain Anders Lee

The New York Islanders will not be making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but captain Anders Lee wishes to return to Long Island next season. The feeling is mutual, as Islanders’ general manager Mathieu Darche wants to re-sign him during the offseason, according to a recap of the season on NHL.com.

“I’d love to see him play 1,000 games with the Islanders. What that looks like, whether we were able to find something that’s suitable for us and for him, we’ll discuss. But I know he’s not far from (1000 games); I’d love to see that, but I’m always looking forward to what other options we have,” Darche told NHL.com.

Lee has played all 923 games of his NHL career with the Islanders. That sets him up to reach 1,000 games soon if he plays at least 77 games next season. With the Islanders missing the playoffs, there will be plenty of questions about who returns. Darche has plenty of decisions to make this offseason as he attempts to make the Isles a contender again. For a while, they were in a playoff spot until they fell off toward the end of the season.

Lee will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2026. If the Isles re-sign him, he will return for his 14th season with the team. Lee finished the season with 19 goals and 23 assists over 82 games. Significantly, that was down from the previous season when he netted 29 goals and 25 assists over 82 games.

It was the second straight season, and third in four, that he has played all 82 games. Lee has been a key player on the third line and will be a pivotal focus of contract decisions this offseason in Long Island.