Islanders 2024 Free Agents, Draft Targets, Offseason Guide After NHL Playoff Loss

The New York Islanders have been eliminated from the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Now it's time for general manager Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders front office to turn their focus toward shaping this team into a 2025 contender.

Here are some of the biggest questions the Islanders are going to have to answer this offseason.

Unrestricted free agents: Cal Clutterbuck, Matt Martin, Mike Reilly, Robert Bortuzzo, Sebastian Aho

Restricted free agents: Oliver Wahlstrom, Simon Holmström, Ruslan Iskhakov, Kyle MacLean

The Islanders added a pair of veteran defensemen early in the 2023-24 season when they claimed Mike Reilly off waivers, then dealt a seventh-rounder for Robert Bortuzzo. Both blueliners are now looking at unrestricted free agency.

Reilly put together one of the most productive offensive stretches of his career with six goals and 18 assists in 59 games and could hope to earn another one-year deal from the Isles or cash in on the open market. Bortuzzo, who turned 35 in March, is likely also looking for a one-year deal if returning to the NHL next season.

The Islanders have another pair of veterans hitting the market in Matt Martin, who just finished his 13th season with the Islanders, and Cal Clutterbuck, who just completed his 11th. After two consecutive playoff exits with this core, Martin and Clutterbuck look like they could be turnover casualties as the Isles aim for a younger, faster team next season.

The team may let Sebastian Aho, who just finished out his fifth campaign with the Islanders, walk in free agency after he struggled in 2023-24, recording just nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 58 regular-season games.

Production from restricted free agent Oliver Wahlstrom also flagged this season in his return from a torn ACL. The third-line winger struggled to control play and was often scratched down the stretch.

One of the most important RFA negotiations this offseason may be with 22-year-old winger Simon Holmström, who proved to be a valuable depth winger down the stretch. He recorded 15 goals during his second NHL season.

The Islanders are in need of an influx of talented prospects.

The New York prospect pool, ranked last in the NHL earlier this season by The Athletic's Scott Wheeler, didn't get much help during the 2023 draft without a first-round pick. In fact, the Islanders haven't selected in the first round since 2019.

That's set to change as the Islanders finally head into the 2024 draft with a first-rounder in their pocket.

Islanders 2024 Draft Picks

Round 1

Round 2

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

The Islanders are missing their third- and seventh-round picks as part of recent trades for Pierre Engvall and Robert Bortuzzo, respectively.

Landing a bonafide NHL prospect with the team's 2024 first-rounder is going to be key for the Islanders' plans going forward.

Given their lack of blue chip prospects, it would likely serve the franchise best for Lamoriello to select the best player still available, regardless of position, during the first round June 28.

The Islanders should also target a defensive prospect at some point in the upcoming draft. New York could be losing both of their bottom-pairing defensemen with Reilly and Bortuzzo hitting free agency.

The Islanders may have stood pat at the 2024 trade deadline, but that likely isn't going to be an option for the team this offseason.

Although New York has their top two forward lines, top two defense pairings and top two goaltenders locked in through next season, the Islanders have plenty of questions to answer regarding the team's depth players.

With bottom-six forwards like Clutterbuck and Martin potentially hitting the market, the Islanders are going to need to find new depth players for next season— and the franchise's relatively thin prospect pool may not cut it.

That's not the only move the Islanders could considering making in free agency. Despite five playoff berths in the last six seasons, the Isles have yet to make it past the Eastern Conference Finals during the stretch.

It's time for the Islanders to make a splash by signing a top offensive talent available in the 2023 market.

One option could be high-scoring winger Jake Guentzel, who finished out the season with the Carolina Hurricanes after his trade deadline acquisition from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guentzel, who succeeded on the wings of both Sidney Crosby and Sebastian Aho last season, could slot in alongside Horvat and Barzal and help boost the top line's production.

Other potential free-agent targets that could slot in on the Isles' top line include the Carolina Hurricanes' Tuevo Teräväinen and the Toronto Maple Leafs' Tyler Bertuzzi.