Islanders sign Simon Holmstrom to one-year deal
Islanders right wing Simon Holmstrom sets before a face off against the Kraken in the second period of an NHL game at UBS Arena on Feb. 13. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The Islanders re-signed restricted free agent forward Simon Holmstrom to a one-year, one-way deal worth $850,000 on Tuesday. That news was expected. Perhaps the bigger point is that the signing saved the salary cap-strapped organization a little less than $25,000 against the $88 million cap ceiling.
That’s because Holmstrom had declined to sign his $874,000, two-way qualifying offer, per PuckPedia.com. It now leaves the Islanders with $50,000 in cap space with 22 players on the NHL roster (out of a maximum 23). Teams can exceed the cap ceiling by 10% until the season opens.
Forward Oliver Wahlstrom remains an RFA after electing salary arbitration.
Forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo remain unrestricted free agents.
Forward prospect Ruslan Iskhakov, a second-round pick in 2018 who made his NHL debut last season with one game in the regular season and one game in the playoffs, was also an RFA with arbitration rights but he has instead signed a contract with CSKA Moscow in the KHL.
Holmstrom, 23, the 23rd overall pick in 2019, had 15 goals and 10 assists in 75 games last season, his first full one in the NHL.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
