Islanders sign Anders Lee to 4-year, $15 million extension
The New York Islanders locked up one of their promising young forwards by signing Anders Lee to a four-year extension.
By
Chris Peters
•
1 min read
The New York Islanders signed promising forward Anders Lee to a four-year contract extension. The deal for the would-be restricted free agent is worth $15 million total according to Craig Custance of ESPN.com.
With this deal, Lee gets a healthy annual average of $3.75 million, but that also helps the Islanders buy up one of his years of unrestricted free agency eligibility.
Lee, who will turn 25 on Friday, finished his first full season in the NHL with 25 goals and 16 assists. He was fourth among all rookies in goals last season. Prior to the 2014-15 campaign, Lee appeared in 24 total games over the previous two seasons, posting 10 goals and six assists over that span.
With his 6-foot-3, 227-bound frame, Lee may only just be beginning to realize his potential in the NHL. The 2009 sixth-round pick has progressed in each of his first two professional seasons since signing out of Notre Dame at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.
The annual average might be a little high and four years is a big commitment to a guy that has only one full NHL season under his belt, but Lee has really impressed in the 100 total regular-season games at the NHL level even though he had a somewhat quiet playoff series this spring against the Washington Capitals.
These very well could be Lee’s prime seasons here, though. As one of several young players that made an impact for the Islanders this year, the club has a lot to look forward to ahead of its move to Brooklyn.
Up next, GM Garth Snow will have to finalize deals with RFA defenseman Thomas Hickey (which is reportedly close) and RFA forward Brock Nelson, who is coming off of a 20-goal season himself, while looking to address other areas of need, particularly goaltending depth.
