Islanders players sound off after signing new deals

The Islanders are gearing up for another long playoff run.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Islanders players sound off after signing new deals
USA Today

New York Islanders president of hockey operations and general Lou Lamoriello continues to work the magic that's made him one of the top executives in hockey history, re-signing several important players to new contracts for the upcoming 2021-22 NHL Season. 

First, he brought back veteran forward Kyle Palmieri, whom the team acquired from the New Jersey Devils at the 2021 Trade Deadline. He signed a four year, $20 million deal, keeping him in the blue and orange through 2025. And so far, it's a marriage that's worked out well for both sides. Palmieri scored nine points in 19 playoff games as the Islanders came within one game of the Stanley Cup Final. 

"Obviously it was a place I wanted to be, and I think the belief was that that was mutual," Palmieri said. "I had a good feeling it was going to work itself out."

Secondly, young goaltender Ilya Sorokin agreed to a three year extension, keeping the all-Russian connection in the Islanders crease intact alongside Semyon Varlamov. Sorokin posted 13-6-3 record with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage during the regular season, and a 4-1 record during the playoffs.

Forward Casey Cizikas, who made his NHL debut during the 2011-12 NHL Season and tallied 14 points in 56 games last campaign, agreed to a six-year pact that will see him earn $15 million. And he's looking forward to bigger and better things with what he puts as "unfinished business". 

"It's exciting what we're doing right now," Cizikas said. "We're gearing up for another big year."

"We have a lot of unfinished business," Cizikas continued. "The way that the season ended wasn't ideal, but we know we have more. We know we can go further, and ultimately we want to do this with the same group."

And of course, we can't forget about forward Anthony Beauvillier, who will earn $12.45 million over the next three years. He'll also forever be known as the player who scored the final goal in the history of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Game 6 of Round 3 of the playoffs, forcing a Game 7 against the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning. 

"There's nowhere else I'd rather play," he said. "I knew it was going to get done."

Source: ESPN