BYE-BYE BAILEY
When Josh Bailey got the news he was no longer an Islander, he was in Europe, on a golf trip with his teammates.
That is fitting for a player who, in 15 years with the Islanders, developed a wellearned reputation for putting the team first, never raising an issue about playing time even as his role diminished to the point at which he was a healthy scratch during the playoffs this past season.
The writing had been on the wall for Bailey’s departure for some time, and right before day two of the NHL draft commenced on Thursday in Nashville, Tenn., the Islanders traded him to the Blackhawks, with a 2026 second-round pick, in exchange for future considerations. That allowed them to off-load $5 million in cap space without giving up any of their already-limited picks in the 2023 draft. Chicago wasted no time in placing Bailey on waivers in order to buy out his contract.
“I don’t think it could have worked out any better under these circumstances for him,” Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said. “And I’m delighted that it worked out this way so that he could get an opportunity of where he would like to go, should he like to do it.”
In order to bring back Pierre Engvall, Scott Mayfield, Semyon Varlamov and Zach Parise — all of whom are unrestricted free agents — along with restricted free agent Oliver Wahlstrom, the Islanders had no choice but to move Bailey, who became expendable last season when he struggled to produce and was regularly a healthy scratch.
The Islanders are now set to enter free agency Saturday with $10.3 million in cap space, enough that bringing everyone back is feasible, but not so much that it will be easy. Doing so still might hinge on one or more of Mayfield, Engvall or Varlamov taking a discount to continue to play on Long Island.
“I wouldn’t say it was necessary, but it’s certainly very helpful,” Lamoriello said of the additional $5 million in cap space.
A hometown discount is not inconceivable, especially given the strong preference of both Mayfield and Varlamov to stay. Mayfield in particular will need to weigh it against the strong likelihood that other teams would be able to offer more. If Parise returns, it is expected to be on the minimum salary. Lamoriello said Tuesday that the 38-year-old is still deciding whether he wants to play another season.
For the record, Lamoriello said he does not believe it would be cap circumvention for the Islanders to re-sign Bailey on a minimum deal, but, “that’s not something we’re thinking of doing.” Asked about the chances of getting any deals done before free agency opens Saturday, he demurred.
Bailey leaves as one of just three players in Islanders history with more than 1,000 games played, joining Bryan Trottier and Denis Potvin. He also ranks seventh in franchise history in points.
“I feel like I’ve been here a while. He’s been here longer and had a pretty big impact on the team, in the community,” Brock Nelson said on breakup day. “He’s a great guy that goes out there, nothing really seems to faze him. … The way he handled himself was awesome, but at the same time, you definitely miss him. Just how much he’s impacting the group and the camaraderie you have down the stretch.”
Though it’s not clear where he will play next season (he said on breakup day that he plans to play in 2023-24), Bailey in a different sweater will be jarring for both a fan base that has rooted for him since 2008 and for the man himself.
“I came here as a teenager. Got married, all our kids were born here, all our roots are here,” Bailey said on breakup day. “This is where we plan on living when hockey’s all said and done, regardless. So 15 years has been a pretty good run. I’m very proud of that.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Once it was announced that Patrick Kane would undergo hip-resurfacing surgery that would sideline the wing for the first portion of next season, there has been a fair amount of speculation that the Rangers would sign their rental property and stow him on long-term injured reserve until he is ready to return in a maneuver to game the system.
If that’s the plan, it would be news to both the Rangers and Kane’s camp. The wing’s agent, Pat Brisson, told The Post by text that he has not talked at all with general manager Chris Drury about a return.
Brisson did say that Kane is doing “great” in rehab and that the 34-year-old would likely begin evaluating his options toward October and would be willing to listen to any offer. That, of course, would include an Act Two on Broadway.
But the proposed scenario makes no sense. If Kane were projected to miss the entire season, the Rangers could indeed sign the winger and keep him on LTIR before activating him for the playoffs without having to shed a nickel off the cap, the way the Lightning did with Nikita Kucherov for their successful 2020-21 championship defense. But such chicanery is not possible if a player returns during the season, which is the projection for Kane following a fourto-six month rehab that could lead to a return soon after the calendar flips to 2024. If, say, Kane were to sign a discounted $4.5 million deal before going on LTIR, the
Rangers would have to shed $4.5 million under the cap in order to add him to the roster.
Let’s see … shedding salary, plus a player or two, in order to accommodate a midseason entry from Kane.
Where have we heard that before and what could possibly go wrong?
The current state of the Rangers in this moment between the conclusion of the draft Thursday and opening of the freeagent market Saturday can be understood by text responses from two agents with clients who would be perfect fits for the bottom-six.
I asked each whether their respective athletes would be interested in coming to New York. The answers were succinct and nearly identical. “No $$,” said one. “No $$$,” said the other. The Blueshirts may have done quite well by selecting right wing Gabriel Perreault 23rd overall and defenseman Drew Fortescue 90th overall, both out of the USNTDP, with their first two picks. The choices have received positive notices and should help to replenish a pipeline that is in need of fortification. That, of course, is critical.
But that does not mean a hill of beans to the 2023-24 squad. There are holes to fill and little capital with which to do so. You know it and so does Drury. There is $11.7 million in cap space to accommodate eight open roster spots, with upward of 50 percent of that to be set aside for impending Group II free agents K’Andre Miller and Alexis Lafreniere.
The math has not changed in weeks. It would change Friday if the Rangers begin the buyout process on Barclay Goodrow that would net $3,841,667 of additional space and give them at least a small measure of maneuverability, but there has been no indication that is in the offing.
If the Rangers do keep Goodrow, it will be because of their belief in his value both on and off the ice and not because a buyout would come back to bite the club with a dead cap charge of $3.65 million in 2026-27.
That is when Perreault will be lighting it up in his rookie season on an entry-level contract, correct?
The Rangers do not have the financial wherewithal to spend the summer hunting for shiny new toys. Drury’s initial priority on the free-agent market is to strike deals with Miller and Lafreniere before either receives an offer sheet that could blow the summer into smithereens.
If there are shiny new toys in Rangerstown. They are named Peter Laviolette, Phil Housley, Michael Peca and Dan Muse. They are the incoming head coach and his assistants. They are the change. At least, that is the idea.