One day after introducing their new GM Mathieu Darche to the press, the Islanders showed a bit of new-wave transparency by announcing the re-signings of two pending free agents.
Kyle Palmieri gets a two-year deal — $4.75 million AAV per Puckpedia — and a first-year no-trade clause, second-year modified (16 teams) NTC.
Restricted free agent Adam Boqvist, a mid-season waiver pickup from Florida, gets one year at $850,000. He’ll still be a RFA when that concludes. This is a prove-it deal for a player who injected some life when the blueline was ravaged by injuries, and even filled in at forward.
The more notable re-signing is Palmieri, even if it was long expected. The pending unrestricted free agent was famously held on to at the trade deadline, with Lou Lamoriello — who didn’t want to trade Brock Nelson, either — saying contract discussions with Palmieri were underway.
Then we heard nothing. Were the deals already signed, but just “in the drawer” for Lou to reveal in the manner and timing of his choosing? Was there pause, given uncertainty around the Status Quo GM?
Don’t know for sure. Elliotte Friedman thinks they were both agreed to prior, and now honored under the new GM.
$4.75M AAV…believe both of these deals had been agreed to before Mathieu Darche’s hiring, but obviously happily honoured https://t.co/Bez9DywE1C
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 30, 2025
Either way, here we are. Unsigned, Palmieri was no longer a tradable asset (unless you count UFA signing rights, which don’t fetch much). Signed, he’s at least an asset who should still help next season — he’s coming off two 82-game seasons of 30 and 24 goals — and might be tradable in the following one as Darche assesses what he’s inherited.
Now, back to the NHL draft and the AHL overhaul…