The New York Islanders and defenseman Alexander Romanov have agreed to terms on an eight-year contract carrying an average annual value (AAV) of $6.25 million per season.
The contract includes a full no movement clause for years two to five and a 16-team no trade clause in years five through eight.
After the Islanders traded defenseman Noah Dobson and drafted another defenseman in Matthew Schaefer at first overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, there was some smoke surrounding what the Islanders were going to do with Alexander Romanov.
All of that talk can now be put to rest as the Islanders have locked up a core piece of their defensive unit for the next eight years.
After acquiring Romanov and a 2022 fourth-round draft selection from the Montreal Canadiens for the 13th overall draft selection in the 2022 NHL Entry draft, the Islanders signed Romanov to a three-year bridge deal worth $2.5 million annually.
Romanov, 25, posted three consecutive 20-point seasons for the Islanders and was incredibly reliable for the Islanders on the backend. The Moscow, Russian-born defender was set to become a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights tomorrow as the free agency market opened.
The 6-foot-1 defender has posted 83-points (17G, 66A) in 354 NHL games split across five seasons. He spent his first two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and the past three with the New York Islanders.
Now locked up for the next eight seasons, Romanov will look to be a valuable veteran piece for the New York Islanders as the team builds into the future with veteran talent like Matthew Barzal and young star Matthew Schaefer.
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