5 best fits for Erik Karlsson in NHL free agency

2. New York Islanders

The New York Islanders’ most recent season was an emotional rollercoaster for all of the wrong reasons.

Having looked promising at times and downright dreadful at others, the franchise opted to shake things up early in the offseason, when it was announced that Lou Lamoriello — former GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils — would be brought on board to serve as the organization’s president of hockey operations.

A step in the right direction? Absolutely. “Loophole Lou” has, for lack of a better phrase, served as the mysterious “man behind the curtain” amidst seemingly dire circumstances, overseeing some of the most impressive rebuilding endeavors in the history of contemporary sport.

Lamoriello’s mission started with establishing a line of contact with John Tavares — the current captain of the Islanders who is set to become the league’s most wanted unrestricted free agent. Few would doubt the notion that Tavares genuinely wants to stay in New York, but unfavorable management has resulted in this prospect being called into question. That the organization has opted to bring in one of the NHL’s most successful administrators could mark a turning point for the veteran center, whose skills would surely benefit any club willing to enter into serious negotiations.

Should the Islanders manage to lock up their captain, the question then turns to one of tactics. They’ll need to find a legitimate starting netminder as soon as possible, but the news that Thomas Greiss is set to reunite with his former goaltending coach, Adam Francilia, is a sign of better days. As Elliotte Friedman recently reported, Francilia has garnered critical acclaim through his work with Devan Dubnyk (MIN) and Connor Hellebuyck (WPG).

Defense is another relatively weak point for New York. While Nick Leddy is among the league’s better defenders, the organization lacks depth at the back end. With Calvin de Haan also set to become a UFA, the team shall look to add some spark to its two-way game — especially that they allowed the most shots per game throughout the past campaign.

While it might seem unrealistic to imagine an offseason in which the Islanders sign the likes of both Tavares and Karlsson, it’s crucial to remember that Lamoriello is the one overseeing the operation in question. That, coupled with the fact that the team’s cap situation is quite strong, is precisely what allows us to picture a future in which dreams of success are translated into a reality sooner than we may have initially imagined.

The Islanders are somewhat similar to the Winnipeg Jets of the not-so-distant past — a team that had wide-ranging offensive pieces in place, but lacked consistency on defense and in goal. Signing Karlsson would bring New York — currently home to one of the league’s most depth-ridden forward cores — straight to the edges of legitimate contention. It’s not unreasonable, therefore, to expect Lamoriello to shock us with his brilliance.