Lee out indefinitely 😢

Lower body out indefinitely

As we await word on the severity of Anders Lee’s injury from Thursday night — the Islanders said Friday he’s out indefinitely with a lower-body injury — there’s much to process about what a long-term absence for the Islanders captain and leading goal scorer would mean.

The bottom line in all these hypothetical injury scenarios is this: The Islanders have come too far this season to just muddle along without Lee if he’s done for several weeks or the entire remainder of the season. Facing a giant void in their top six and armed with some unwanted but new-found cap flexibility, the Islanders and Lou Lamoriello will most definitely turn up the search for help before the April 12 deadline.

It’s not a stretch to say that the Islanders would vault to the front of the deadline buyers’ line if Lee is out until the playoffs, which begin roughly two months from now, or beyond that.

We’ll know more on Saturday, possibly, about Lee’s prognosis. Until then, let’s see what the Islanders could do if their captain is out for a while:

The cap implications
Lee could be placed on long-term injured reserve, which would open up part or all of his $7 million cap hit to use. As the Islanders roster sat on Thursday, they had enough cap space to add a $725,000 contract — basically no one. If Lee isn’t out more than a couple of weeks, the Islanders could add by shuffling some contracts around or send one out in a trade along with an asset, likely Thomas Hickey (one year left at $2.5 million) or Leo Komarov (one year left at $3 million). Both of those veterans are on the taxi squad currently.

If Lee is out for the season or able to return in the playoffs, when there’s no salary cap, the Islanders could use LTIR more than they are right now, with their adjusted salary cap sitting at $81.34 million after putting Johnny Boychuk’s $6 million hit on LTIR at the start of the season.

The Isles wouldn’t put Lee on LTIR until they made a trade for a sizable contract, since they want to use as much of the LTIR space as possible the day Lee would be placed on LTIR. So even an announcement in the coming days of a long-term injury wouldn’t result in LTIR right away.

The trade possibilities
Remember when some of you emailed or DMed me with trade proposals involving guys like Taylor Hall or Kyle Palmieri? And I probably shot you down by saying the Islanders had no cap space? Well, if Lee is out, send ’em over again.

Every forward option would be on the table, starting with Hall. He’s not having a great year, with two goals and 16 points, but he’s the most skilled winger who could be on the market. He has a history with Jordan Eberle and, while he’s not a Lee-style player, few are. Hall also has an expiring contract and could be a pure rental, though a costly one — if the Islanders announce Lee is out long term, no one’s going to run to help Lamoriello. If the Islanders could somehow get the Sabres to take Hickey along with a first- or second-round pick (or two seconds), they’d be able to replace their top wing with the top wing available.

Moving Hickey would likely require Lamoriello to find a depth defenseman and to do it right around the same time as a forward trade to maximize the LTIR situation.

Dropping down a tier from Hall, there are some other pending UFA wingers, starting with Palmieri. He’s a Long Island native and pending UFA and his contract ($4.5 million) fits a lot easier than Hall’s $8 million, though the Islanders would probably still need Lee on LTIR to make Palmieri a fit.

The Canucks’ Tanner Pearson, the Blue Jackets’ Nick Foligno and the Predators’ Mikael Granlund also could become easier fits, financially and lineup-wise, with Lee being out. And none of them would cost as much in assets as Hall.

For players with term, the Ducks’ Rickard Rakell has been a name on the limited trade market so far. He has another season at $3.78 million, which would be a difficult fit for 2021-22 barring some other moves this coming offseason.

But it comes down to one simple fact: The Islanders are all in for this season, with a division lead at the halfway mark, fans coming back to the Coliseum and UBS Arena on track to open in 2021-22. Losing Lee would be a huge blow, but Lamoriello won’t allow it to derail the season.

Everything would be on the table

Lee out indefinitely 😢
- Vukota

In a perfect world Lee is out until the playoffs. This way they can add a top 6 forward and still have Lee for the playoffs because there is no salary cap for the playoffs. Fingers crossed he’ll be back for playoffs

In a perfect world Lee is out until the playoffs. This way they can add a top 6 forward and still have Lee for the playoffs because there is no salary cap for the playoffs. Fingers crossed he’ll be back for playoffs
- Vukota

- eichiefs9

😂😂 never gets old

😂😂 never gets old
- Vukota

It really doesn't

It really doesn't
- eichiefs9

Go get Hall

In a perfect world Lee is out until the playoffs. This way they can add a top 6 forward and still have Lee for the playoffs because there is no salary cap for the playoffs. Fingers crossed he’ll be back for playoffs
- Vukota

Jokes aside -- hopefully he's back skating before the playoffs, but my guess is that if his timeline is close to the length of the rest of the season then Lou will probably just keep him out the rest of the way and be able to fully utilize his LTIR cushion.

Like Staple said, that pretty much opens up just about any reasonable rental option out there for us...including Hall.

Jokes aside -- hopefully he's back skating before the playoffs, but my guess is that if his timeline is close to the length of the rest of the season then Lou will probably just keep him out the rest of the way and be able to fully utilize his LTIR cushion.

Like Staple said, that pretty much opens up just about any reasonable rental option out there for us...including Hall.
- eichiefs9

Hall makes the most sense. Get him pretty cheap and if you could get Lee back for the playoffs would allow either Bailey or Beau to play with the 3rd line and then it’s time to roll 😂

Lee out indefinitely 😢
- Vukota

I knew today would be a good day to day drink.

Go get Hall
- Vukota

You don’t want him. The (frank)ing guy is a cancer everywhere he goes.

You don’t want him. The (frank)ing guy is a cancer everywhere he goes.
- Wildschwein

I don’t buy that. Didn’t seem much like a cancer when with the Devils. I think he would be a different player under trotz and company plus they are desperate 😂

It's sad when we are hoping for a player to be out for the rest of this regular season for possible trade scenarios

It's sad when we are hoping for a player to be out for the rest of this regular season for possible trade scenarios
- Hockeyislife

Just trying to make the best of a bad situation. What’s wrong with that?😂😂

I don’t buy that. Didn’t seem much like a cancer when with the Devils. I think he would be a different player under trotz and company plus they are desperate 😂
- Vukota

He’s on record saying that he usually doesn’t listen to coaches.

His one uber season in Jersey he simply did whatever the hell he wanted because no one else was capable of keeping up, and lucked into a shooting percentage 4% above his career average.

I’d bet my left nut that he and Barzal would be a poop mix. He might be able to gell with Nelson, but frankly I don’t think he’d care for Trotz hockey. It’s been his way or the highway for his entire career, and I don’t know if that’d change here. Maybe Eberle could talk sense into him...?

I don’t buy that. Didn’t seem much like a cancer when with the Devils. I think he would be a different player under trotz and company plus they are desperate 😂
- Vukota

Does it make more sense to get Hall or to spread that cap hit over a couple of players to add to our depth?

Just trying to make the best of a bad situation. What’s wrong with that?😂😂
- Vukota

Lee has a broken leg.i am talking about our cap situation not about comments in here. Should of said that. Not criticizing anyone in here

He’s on record saying that he usually doesn’t listen to coaches.

His one uber season in Jersey he simply did whatever the hell he wanted because no one else was capable of keeping up, and lucked into a shooting percentage 4% above his career average.

I’d bet my left nut that he and Barzal would be a poop mix. He might be able to gell with Nelson, but frankly I don’t think he’d care for Trotz hockey. It’s been his way or the highway for his entire career, and I don’t know if that’d change here. Maybe Eberle could talk sense into him...?
- Wildschwein

Wow if he did I’m sure that would go over like a lead balloon to trotz

Does it make more sense to get Hall or to spread that cap hit over a couple of players to add to our depth?
- Cptmjl

Not sure they have the assets to make two trades unless small trades

Lee has a broken leg.i am talking about our cap situation not about comments in here. Should of said that. Not criticizing anyone in here
- Hockeyislife

?

He’s on record saying that he usually doesn’t listen to coaches.

His one uber season in Jersey he simply did whatever the hell he wanted because no one else was capable of keeping up, and lucked into a shooting percentage 4% above his career average.

I’d bet my left nut that he and Barzal would be a poop mix. He might be able to gell with Nelson, but frankly I don’t think he’d care for Trotz hockey. It’s been his way or the highway for his entire career, and I don’t know if that’d change here. Maybe Eberle could talk sense into him...?
- Wildschwein

Either way better then what we have and I’d be willing to take a shot at the right price

Not sure they have the assets to make two trades unless small trades
- Vukota

Three seconds(over the next two yrs) and this drafts first plus Bellows, Aho, etc... We have some assets for a couple of middle tier players...

Three seconds(over the next two yrs) and this drafts first plus Bellows, Aho, etc... We have some assets for a couple of middle tier players...
- Cptmjl

True but now you don’t have any of those to help get rid of some contracts next year that you’ll need to move to resign some of our own. Tricky situation for sure