Feb 5, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27) skates against New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec (17) during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Anders Lee and the team he has captained for the last eight years, the New York Islanders, are far apart on contract talks after his agent, Neil Sheehy, met with team general manager Mathieu Darche, a source confirmed with amNewYork on Wednesday.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun first reported on the gap in the numbers each party is seeking.
With it, Lee’s camp is preparing for the 35-year-old to hit free agency, though nothing either way is inevitable, a source adds, with the official start of the NHL’s free agency period beginning on July 1.
His potential departure would continue to usher in a changing of the guard for an Islanders team that had been largely held together by former president and GM Lou Lamoriello, whose seven-year reign ended last season after missing the playoffs. Darche, a disciple of Julien BriseBois with the Tampa Bay Lightning, took over last June.
Darche quickly flipped Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens for 20-goal scorer Emil Heineman and a pair of draft picks that became Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson. He was also aggressive at the trade deadline, acquiring Ondrej Palat, Carson Soucy, and Brayden Schenn, though those moves weren’t enough to stop a late-season collapse that saw New York miss the playoffs.
Despite drafting a franchise cornerstone in Matthew Schaefer and a goalie in Ilya Sorokin, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist, Darche has a lot of work to do to make the Islanders a perennial playoff contender. Lee, who is coming off a 19-goal season mostly as a third-liner, might just not be in his plans above a certain price.
Lee has appeared in parts of 14 seasons for the organization after he was taken in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Draft — the same draft in which the franchise took John Tavares with the No. 1 overall pick.
After Tavares left New York for the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2018-19 season, Lee, coming off a 40-goal season, was named captain and subsequently signed a seven-year deal the following summer. He helped shepherd the Islanders to two straight Stanley Cup semifinal appearances, though he missed their 2021 run after suffering a torn ACL in March.
Lee’s name is peppered throughout the Islanders’ record books, ranking fifth in games played (923), fourth in goals (308), and 10th in points (549).
“There’s no question [I want to stay here],” Lee said back in April. “I’ve given everything I’ve had to this organization. It’s where I’ve played my entire career. It’s where I’ve put my best foot forward as much as I can, and I don’t take anything for granted.”
For more on Anders Lee and the Islanders, visit AMNY.com
