Anders Lee Nears Free Agency as Islanders Talks Stall

Anders Lee is preparing to hit free agency, and the Islanders captain is now more likely headed to the market than to a new deal in New York. His agent met with general manager Mathieu Darche on Wednesday, but the sides remain far apart with July 1 approaching.

Lee and Darche Stay Apart

Pierre LeBrun posted Wednesday that Lee was “Looking like Anders Lee is preparing to hit free agency.” He added that Neil Sheehy met with Darche the same day, and that both sides are far apart. The Islanders still want Lee back, but the current direction points toward a first trip to free agency in his NHL career.

That is the friction point for New York. The club intends to keep trying, yet Lee appears most likely headed to market at the moment. A deal is still possible between now and July 1, but the gap in the talks leaves the captain’s future unsettled as the deadline nears.

Lee’s Islanders Track Record

Lee has spent parts of 14 NHL seasons with the Islanders after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Draft. He has appeared in 923 games for the franchise, scoring 308 goals and adding 241 assists for 549 points.

His workload has stayed steady late in his career. Lee played 82 games in three of the past four seasons and 81 in the other season in that stretch. He finished the 2025-26 season with 19 goals, 23 assists and 91 hits, and he will turn 36 years old in July.

Islanders Face Leadership Shift

Lee has worn the captain’s C for New York, and his exit would remove one of the most familiar players in the organization’s history. He also remains the only NHL team he has ever known, which is why the contract gap carries more weight than a routine veteran negotiation.

If the Islanders and Lee do not bridge that gap, the club moves toward July 1 without its captain under contract. For a team that wants him back, the next step is straightforward: close the distance before he reaches the market.