According to NHLnumbers.com, the Isles contracts are as follows. Bold players entering their UFA contract year. Italicized players entering their RFA contract year.
Under contract Forwards Tavares, Grabovski, Kulemin, Bailey, Grabner, Okposo, Clutterbuck, Nielsen, Strome, Cizikas, Martin. Defense: Boychuk, Leddy, Hamonic, De Haan, Strait Goal: Halak
The only one in there I'm not happy about is Strait, unless he's used properly: As the healthy scratch insurance in case of an injury to a top 6 D-man.
This year's RFAs. Forward: Nelson, Lee Defense: Donovan, Hickey Goal: Poulin
Nelson & Lee will be re-signed, as they should be. Donovan & Hickey are okay, not great. Hickey shows flashes of his #4 overall selection, but is not consistent enough. Donovan would get an incomplete if I was grading, because he only played 12 games + 2 playoff games. Poulin can walk or start in Bridgeport, but until he sets the AHL on fire, the Isles need to bring in someone else to work with Halak.
This year's UFAs. Forward: Boulton, Kennedy & McDonald. McDonald is the only one I'd like to see considered for keeping, and mainly for a healthy scratch/insurance type. Defense: Carkner, Visnovsky. Both have serious injury concerns. Carkner had back surgery last year during camp & Visnovsky had his 7th concussion in the playoffs, 2nd of the year. Aaron Ness is a Group IV UFA. Several other D-men with no shot at the NHL team will be UFAs, but won't be listed here. Goal: Neuvirth. They'd love to bring him back as the 1b, but I think he'll look for a #1 role somewhere first. Don't know if he'll get that.
Grabner battled injuries all year and may come back as good as before, or may be moved to bring in either a backup goalie or another reliable D-man. The D may come from within though, as Scott Mayfield showed he wasn't phased by the pressure of Games 6 & 7. Matt Donovan looked better than the coaching staff expected him to, although fans have been screaming all year that he's way better than Brian Strait, so I think the coaching staff were the only ones surprised by that. Pulock would help the PP, at least with a 2nd choice to Boychuk to shoot. Reinhart can't be as bad as he looked in Game 5 and may have a shot at making the team out of camp, but he'll have to do serious battle with Pulock & Mayfield. It may come down to the staff wanting an offensive D-man (Pulock) or defensive (Mayfield or Reinhart). A legit left wing for Tavares & Okposo would be great, although that could also possibly be filled from within. Lee & Strome both looked good there for short periods, and both gained good experience this year. Fans are looking for Dal Colle next year, but I think that's dumb. Give him another year in juniors, then a year in Bridgeport. Rushing kids isn't necessary with their current depth. Maybe give him the 9 game look & if they set the ice on fire, then worry about it.
Halak needs a backup who can be more of a 1b. I think Neuvirth could be that guy but don't see him settling for it. Few NHL goalies are willing to share the duties, thinking they're the legit #1. Hopefully they can work it out, but I doubt it.
I still think a healthy Hamonic would have turned the series for the Isles, but those are breaks. Or more correctly, the partial tears. But anything short of wining at least one round next year is unacceptable. They've got a new building to fill, a partially new fan base to fill out, old fans to entice to go a whopping 23 miles to the new arena... They've got their work cut out for them, but it should be possible with a few good moves and the luck of staying healthy.
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