The assumption was that Islanders team president Lou Lamoriello would not have approved naming Anders Lee captain if there wasn’t an understanding on a new contract for the 28-year-old Minnesotan.
Well, that wasn’t the case.
The future of Lee, and therefore the whereabouts of the ‘C’ on an Islanders sweater, is arguably the biggest question going into break-up day Monday. Following the team’s commendable second-round postseason exit, ending with it getting swept by the Hurricanes after a Game 4 loss Friday night in Raleigh, Lee goes into the summer having completed his team-friendly four-year, $15 million deal, looking at unrestricted free agency if a new contract is not reached by July 1.
Whenever asked about his situation, Lee would trot out the trope “things will take care of themselves,” but that’s not necessarily the case. He would presumably be looking for a hometown eight-year deal, while Lamoriello most likely would not want to commit for that type of term — unless the salary-cap hit was substantially decreased, say to $5 million per.
But rest assured Mark Stone’s eight-year, $76 million deal with the Golden Knights, carrying an annual salary-cap hit of $9.5 million in a no-tax state, will be used as a comparable. And even though Lee is not in the same realm as Stone, that will be a starting point for negotiations. Add in the gap in term, and it’s clear how reaching a deal might be a tougher situation than first anticipated.
Lee is one of only 15 players to score 100 or more goals combined the past three seasons, highlighted by his 40-goal performance in the 2017-18 season playing in the wide-open style of Doug Weight.
But since Barry Trotz moved behind the bench this season and procured a winning, defensive style, everyone’s numbers went down. Lee managed just 28 goals while playing all 82 games and he didn’t exactly help himself with adding just one empty-netter in the eight playoff games — his first postseason goal.
Lee’s leadership is undeniable, as Trotz needed only training camp to identify him as the man who should take over the captaincy in the wake of John Tavares’ unceremonious departure to go play for his hometown Maple Leafs. After the Game 4 loss, Lee was understandably emotional, knowing that it could have been his final game as the Islanders’ captain.
“That’s part of our game, our business,” Lee said. “We’re a family in here. We’re a team. Until that changes, we’re a family.”
Lee has an understated Midwestern way about him, accentuated by the three years he spent at Notre Dame after the Islanders had taken the standout quarterback from Edina High School in the sixth round (No. 152 overall) in 2009.
It is seemingly the perfect temperament for a team coached by Trotz, confident and poised while straining away from the spotlight.
“He’s been a really good captain,” Trotz said. “Sometimes he’ll try to shoulder too much of the responsibilities. We’ve got a really good leadership group and they’re all saying the right things.”
Lamoriello has his plate full with three more big-name free agents in forwards Jordan Eberle and Brock Nelson, along with goalie Robin Lehner. Capable veteran Valtteri Filppula also just completed his one-year, $2.75 million deal that turned out to be a bargain.
While Lehner might play the most important position, Lee is the most important in terms of continuing to establish a team identity. With the import of Lamoriello and Trotz, the organizational culture has drastically changed, and Lee is that representation of professionalism in the locker room. Of course Monday he will say he wants to stay, and of course that means only at the right price.
As proven over the years, Lamoriello has an uncanny way of disregarding sentimentality when it comes to negotiations, but that doesn’t not mean he undervalues leadership. With a roster overhaul inevitable, soon Lamoriello will have to decide just how far he is willing to go to keep his captain, or watch him walk out the door.