Ben Shelley: Islanders re-sign Sorokin, Mayfield, Engvall and Varlamov

Andrew Gross
@AGrossNewsday
·
4h
Lou says, after signing his own FAs, he will look to make "hockey trades" to improve roster.

Sorokin deal...solid
Mayfield deal...too much money too much term
Varly...too much term
Engvall...too much term

The bottom three will bite the next GM in the ass.

Sorokin deal...solid
Mayfield deal...too much money too much term
Varly...too much term
Engvall...too much term

The bottom three will bite the next GM in the ass.
- Nfdbulldawg

The Mayfield deal concerns me. He turns 31 this October, meaning He'll be 38 when this contract expires. I don't know how a 35 year old Mayfield will look at $3.5m.
Engvall: I'm just not sure I saw quite enough to warrant seven years. Hopeful he continues to improve.
Varly: He's 35, but in a back up role, I think he'll be okay. I'm good with that deal.
Sorokin: Love that deal

The Mayfield deal concerns me. He turns 31 this October, meaning He'll be 38 when this contract expires. I don't know how a 35 year old Mayfield will look at $3.5m.
Engvall: I'm just not sure I saw quite enough to warrant seven years. Hopeful he continues to improve.
Varly: He's 35, but in a back up role, I think he'll be okay. I'm good with that deal.
Sorokin: Love that deal
- keaner17

These contracts look like they are signed thinking of the cap projection for the following season after this one.
I don't think Engvall at 3 will be a bother, even with his term aslong as he doesn't become a pylon. Mayfield may be though.

Sorokin was A+ deal

The Mayfield deal concerns me. He turns 31 this October, meaning He'll be 38 when this contract expires. I don't know how a 35 year old Mayfield will look at $3.5m.
Engvall: I'm just not sure I saw quite enough to warrant seven years. Hopeful he continues to improve.
Varly: He's 35, but in a back up role, I think he'll be okay. I'm good with that deal.
Sorokin: Love that deal
- keaner17

Im good on the Sorokin deal the rest to me are bad to questionable. If Engvall continues to improve that has the potential to be ok but to give him seven years is to me nuts. Not really sure what he showed to justify that? The mayfield contract is ridiculous. Varly for four years is nuts. That’s double the sensible term imo. If he wanted to stay as bad as he said he should’ve been offered a two year take it or leave it deal. Whoever takes over the team after Lou will be stuck with the same situation that he’s in right now 100%. Giving up assets to dump players that have nothing left.

I agree the Sorokin deal is good. Getting him for under 9 million is a home run but I can’t wrap my head around the other three. We continue to double down on limiting this team’s opportunities to improve. To create a situation where that’s going to continue on this much of a long term basis is nuts. Not sure how anyone could be applauding this.

Sorokin deal...solid
Mayfield deal...too much money too much term
Varly...too much term
Engvall...too much term

The bottom three will bite the next GM in the ass.
- Nfdbulldawg

Pretty much sums up how I feel. I think Engvall is a bit of a wild card though. I’m not as enamored as some are with him. I’m kind of luke warm with him but I can see him as a potential positive signing. That’s minus the term of course. That’s a head scratcher though I get it bought down his aav it’s quite a commitment for a player who to me didn’t show enough to justify it.

These signings prove that lameriello feels this is a Stanley Cup contender as assembled. There’s no way he makes these signings unless he didn’t truly believe that. He certainly didn’t have too give these guys what he did. He wasn’t handcuffed.

The Mayfield deal concerns me. He turns 31 this October, meaning He'll be 38 when this contract expires. I don't know how a 35 year old Mayfield will look at $3.5m.
Engvall: I'm just not sure I saw quite enough to warrant seven years. Hopeful he continues to improve.
Varly: He's 35, but in a back up role, I think he'll be okay. I'm good with that deal.
Sorokin: Love that deal
- keaner17

The Mayfield deal concerns me. He turns 31 this October, meaning He'll be 38 when this contract expires. I don't know how a 35 year old Mayfield will look at $3.5m. These are my concerns as well. This is recipe for buyout or drafts in three (3) years.

Engvall: I'm just not sure I saw quite enough to warrant seven years. Hopeful he continues to improve.
I agree. A three (3) year or a one(1) season prove it deal would have made more sense. He showed signs of positive production. Just would have liked to have seen more.

Varly deal might have been tied in into getting Sorokin to sign his 8 year deal. If that is the case I will be willing to accept Varlies 4 deal. I just think it is two year too long.

Sorokin deal is solid as I have said before.

These contracts look like they are signed thinking of the cap projection for the following season after this one.
I don't think Engvall at 3 will be a bother, even with his term aslong as he doesn't become a pylon. Mayfield may be though.

Sorokin was A+ deal

- Aaron_85

100% and that’s exactly what bit us in the arse in the past. Preemptively eating up hypothetical, future, cap space is not a recipe for success.

But, but, you guys signed Ryan Reaves for three years.

Alex DeBrincat...What are your thoughts? Its seems clear that he can put the puck in the net. Having potentially being acquired and place along side Horvat and Barzal...Could this be the piece the team and fans have been longing for?

I could see Walhstrom as part of the deal going the other way with (do not shoot me) draft picks.

Speed, goal scoring, and power play numbers are all what we are looking for.

Lou 🤷🙄🤨

Alex DeBrincat...What are your thoughts? Its seems clear that he can put the puck in the net. Having potentially being acquired and place along side Horvat and Barzal...Could this be the piece the team and fans have been longing for?

I could see Walhstrom as part of the deal going the other way with (do not shoot me) draft picks.

Speed, goal scoring, and power play numbers are all what we are looking for.
- Nfdbulldawg

If you told me Wahlstrom and JGP brings in Debrincat, I ask where to sign. If the isles can find a way to improve the PP to even middle of the pack, they can win rounds in the playoffs. One thing about Lou that we didn’t see much in the prior decades, is he’s not afraid to pull the trigger.

Mayfield was rewarded for his Islander loyalty and a possible buyout down the road for a guy who rounds out the bottom 4 for the next few years is not a bad risk reward. Sorokin and Varly still make one of the top tandems. With more possible growth of Aho and Salo plus counting on Dobson to improve, however that offensive flair on d and the pp still is not there since the departure of Leddy.
Forwards situation is still a golden opportunity for any' UFA to join a contender with top goaltending.

Ok. I'm all for getting a top line Wing in a trade.
However, if 18-29-21 is the 2nd line that puts Lee on the 3rd line making 7m.
Could they move Lee?

Ok. I'm all for getting a top line Wing in a trade.
However, if 18-29-21 is the 2nd line that puts Lee on the 3rd line making 7m.
Could they move Lee?
- chazpet

Lee has a no trade clause. And moving him would probably require losing even more draft picks.

The Mayfield deal concerns me. He turns 31 this October, meaning He'll be 38 when this contract expires. I don't know how a 35 year old Mayfield will look at $3.5m. These are my concerns as well. This is recipe for buyout or drafts in three (3) years.

Engvall: I'm just not sure I saw quite enough to warrant seven years. Hopeful he continues to improve.
I agree. A three (3) year or a one(1) season prove it deal would have made more sense. He showed signs of positive production. Just would have liked to have seen more.

Varly deal might have been tied in into getting Sorokin to sign his 8 year deal. If that is the case I will be willing to accept Varlies 4 deal. I just think it is two year too long.

Sorokin deal is solid as I have said before.
- Nfdbulldawg

Lameriello alluded to Varlamov being an important part of team due to his relationship with Sorokin but I have a hard time justifying an additional two years for that. I say that liking Varlamov being here.

Lee has a no trade clause. And moving him would probably require losing even more draft picks.
- JohnScammo

Yep. Just have to hope he finds his game again.

Yep. Just have to hope he finds his game again.
- Cptmjl

Who’d win in a goal line to goal line race? Trent Hunter or Anders Lee?

Who’d win in a goal line to goal line race? Trent Hunter or Anders Lee?
- kindlyrick

Stan Fischler

Stan Fischler
- JohnScammo

The Maven by a hair.

Who’d win in a goal line to goal line race? Trent Hunter or Anders Lee?
- kindlyrick

Guy started out great last season and then his game just fell off a cliff. Not sure if he has extra gear left but hope he finds it because he’s not going anywhere.

Must have missed it but Matt Duchene to Dallas on a one yr 3 million contract is a great deal.

Guy started out great last season and then his game just fell off a cliff. Not sure if he has extra gear left but hope he finds it because he’s not going anywhere.
- Cptmjl

His add value is in front of the net….he’s a beast there. The power play was just so poorly ran last season that it never made it to the front of the net. To this day I cannot believe the PP coach had no other entry than the drop pass to Barzal, who tried stickhandling through the entire team. If they can set up on the PP I can see Lee back to his old self.

If you told me Wahlstrom and JGP brings in Debrincat, I ask where to sign. If the isles can find a way to improve the PP to even middle of the pack, they can win rounds in the playoffs. One thing about Lou that we didn’t see much in the prior decades, is he’s not afraid to pull the trigger.
- kindlyrick

There are multiple sources on different levels pointing the Cat going to Isles. The question is what is the price?

Mayfield was rewarded for his Islander loyalty and a possible buyout down the road for a guy who rounds out the bottom 4 for the next few years is not a bad risk reward. Sorokin and Varly still make one of the top tandems. With more possible growth of Aho and Salo plus counting on Dobson to improve, however that offensive flair on d and the pp still is not there since the departure of Leddy.
Forwards situation is still a golden opportunity for any' UFA to join a contender with top goaltending.
- Fan101

A five deal would have been loyalty. Even that is a bit much for a bottom two guy. He is not a bottom four guy. You cannot continue to sacrifice the future. Ladd, Bailey, a few current Islanders. When are GM's going to learn. You do it once and a while okay. But management team is handing these contracts out like Halloween candy.