The Islanders have agreed to a one-year deal worth a reported $850,000 with Simon Holmstrom, ensuring the bottom-six winger gets another go in New York.
A restricted free agent, Holmstrom was initially sent a qualifying offer of $847,000, though it was a two-way deal, per Puckpedia. Two days after the deadline to sign those qualifying offers, Holmstrom struck a one-way deal with the organization that drafted him
The 23-year-old established a litany of career bests in his second season in the NHL, recording 15 goals with 10 assists across 75 games. He built a reputation of being a short-handed merchant, of sorts, as five of his goals came while the Islanders were a man down.
Much of Holmstrom’s success was predicated on a partnership with veteran center Jean-Gabriel Pageau — the two were on New York’s third line as well as the penalty kill.
“He’s such a smart hockey player,” Holmstrom told amNewYork back in December. “He always knows what decision to make and what’s the right thing. He’s a good distributor and I think we’ve been playing really, really well.”
But the Swede’s production waned during the final lengths of the season — most notably when the organization moved on from head coach Lane Lambert and brought in Patrick Roy to take over on Jan. 20. He scored just four goals in 31 games under Roy after posting 11 in his first 44.
As things stand, Holmstrom’s best chance to crack into the Islanders’ lineup next season will be on the fourth line after the organization added a pair of wingers expected to feature in the top six. Russian goal-scorer Maxim Tsyplakov made the jump from the KHL to potentially boost New York’s second line before Lou Lamoriello inked Anthony Duclair — a potential fit on the left wing of the first line — during the first day of free agency on July 1.
