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The New York Islanders made one of the biggest trades of the NHL offseason so far. They dealt Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for two first-round picks just before the NHL Draft. That meant they needed to solidify their blue line to help replace them. The Islanders started that process by signing Alexander Romanov to an eight-year contract extension. How did both sides fare in the deal?
Romanov signed an eight-year deal worth $6.25 million per season. It starts immediately, as his previous contract was expiring, and runs through the 2032-33 season. He will be 33 years old when it ends. The Islanders picked up Romanov by trading a first-rounder to the Canadiens at the 2022 draft. Since then, the Russian defenseman has played 221 games and scored 64 points.
Did the Islanders overpay? And did Romanov do the right thing by signing for the full eight years?
The Islanders get good value for a defenseman in his prime
After trading Dobson, new Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche did not have much of a choice but to re-sign Romanov. Even though they play opposite sides, losing two top-four defensemen would not be a recipe for success. Romanov is just 25 years old, so he will play through most of his prime on this deal. That makes it a solid value for the Islanders.
Darche explained in his July 1 press conference why Romanov was the player he kept, as opposed to Dobson. “Well, if you saw the players we drafted this weekend, we want to have competitors, guys who play hard, will compete. And Romanov is exactly that type of player,” Darche said, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News.
Romanov and Adam Pelech make up a solid left side, all for a reasonable cap hit for the next few seasons. On a team full of questions, they have one of their strengths locked in. While the cap hit could have been a touch lower, the rising cap mitigates almost all of that concern.
Islanders grade: A-
Alexander Romanov gets job security, but at what price?
In case you haven't heard, the NHL salary cap is going up. After years of stagnation due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the cap is over $90 million for 2025-26 and will be $113.5 million for 2027-28. If Romanov had signed a bridge deal to reach unrestricted free agency, he would have gotten there on July 1, 2027. For that season, Romanov's extension will be 5.5% of the cap, the equivalent of a $4.84 million deal last year.
It is hard to say anyone should turn down $50 million, which is what Romanov got on this deal. The Islanders made him the highest-paid defenseman on the team, and he will have a chance at another contract at 33 years old, assuming health.
While Dobson was hurt last season, Romanov played a lot with Tony DeAngelo. The Islanders signed DeAngelo due to a plethora of injuries during last season and brought him back on a one-year deal on July 1. They made a nice pairing, considering DeAngelo's strength is offense and Romanov's is defense. If they can continue to gel throughout this season, the contract will start aging well immediately.
The Islanders brought in a new GM in Darche, but kept head coach Patrick Roy after his first full season. To re-sign Romanov, Roy needed to see something to build around. If he keeps ascending, Romanov may regret signing this deal. But if he believes in the vision and it ends in a Stanley Cup, it'll all be worth it.
Romanov grade: B+
