- Anders Lee signs a three-year, $16.2 million deal with the Utah Mammoth
- Islanders coach Peter DeBoer says the longtime captain “will be missed”
- Read below for Mathieu Darche’s explanation and the Islanders’ new captaincy question
Anders Lee’s run on Long Island is over.
The Islanders captain since 2018 signed a three-year, $16.2 million contract with the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday, leaving as an unrestricted free agent after 14 seasons with the only NHL team he had ever played for. The deal carries a $5.4 million cap hit.
Islanders coach Peter DeBoer, who worked with Lee for just four games last season, did not try to gloss over what the room lost. He was asked Thursday about the team’s free agency moves and led with the departure.
“Well, I don’t think we can talk about (free agency moves) without saying how much Anders Lee will be missed here and what he did, and what he’s meant to this organization,” DeBoer said. “In my time in the NHL, I don’t think I remember a time the Islanders were without Anders Lee in the lineup. So, he’ll be missed, but that’s the NHL.”
General manager Mathieu Darche said the split came down to years, not interest. He wanted to keep a path open for younger players, and Lee wanted a third season Darche was not ready to give.
“The term was tougher for us,” Darche said, adding that he was happy Lee landed the money and the years he was after. Watch Darche walk through his free agency thinking:
Lee, who turns 36 on Friday, leaves as one of the most productive forwards in franchise history. He ranks fifth in games (923), fourth in goals (308) and 10th in points (549), and he hit the 20-goal mark nine times.
Utah GM Bill Armstrong knew exactly what he was buying. He called Lee a power forward who goes to the net, recovers pucks, and sets a tone for the group with the way he sticks up for teammates.
Now the Islanders have to name their 16th captain. DeBoer admitted he had not even thought about it yet, though Bo Horvat and offseason addition Brayden Schenn both bring past captaincy experience. Rookie of the year Matthew Schaefer is around too, at 18.
New York already reshaped the forward group on Day 1, headlined by Matias Maccelli, and Darche still has room to work as the free agent board thins out. Replacing the face of the franchise is the part that takes longer.
