With the opening of free agency now 13 days ago, most teams have already made their additions and are preparing for the season with the roster they have now assembled, while there are still some that are on the hunt to add some talent still. There are still some notable free agents on the market, with Nazem Kadri and John Klingberg being the two biggest names.
While many expected Kadri to be off the board on day one, he remains as the 31-year-old is looking for a term that carries a price tag in the $7.5 to $8.7 million a year range which some teams either need to clear cap space for or find the contract to be risky. One Eastern Conference team that hasn’t made any moves this free agency is now reportedly making a strong push for the veteran center.
According to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, he reports the New York Islanders have emerged as a heavily interested team in the sweepstakes.
The Islanders and GM Lou Lamoriello, are the only ones that haven’t signed any free agents and the club has $11 million available in cap space to get a deal done with.
Kadri recorded 28 goals and 59 assists for a total of 87 points in 71 games for the Colorado Avalanche last season en route to a Stanley Cup Championship. Now that Kadri has secured a Stanley Cup, he will look to cash in on his best season as he enters the later stages of his career. If the Islanders sign Kadri, they add him to a center core that includes young superstar Mathew Barzal and veteran Brock Nelson.
