New York Islanders sign Jordan Eberle to five-year extension

The New York Islanders made a surprising move on Friday. They re-signed forward Jordan Eberle, who was going to be a free agent, to a five-year extension.

The New York Islanders came into this offseason with a number of free agents to re-sign. Everyone thought Jordan Eberle would be a goner after a down year in his contract season. However, the Islanders have announced he has been re-signed to a five-year deal.

According to Pierre LeBrun, Eberle will have a $5.5 million annual cap hit. That’s not a bad deal at all. Eberle’s term and cap hit are both quite reasonable. He should bounce back. And, given the Islanders forward depth concerns, keeping him around is a good idea.

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Also, it’s worth noting the Isles need to improve their offense, not make it worse. Losing Eberle would likely make it worse. He’s 29 years old, so that’s a little bit concerning. However, Eberle’s playing style should keep him healthy and he should remain productive for at least the next three to four seasons.

During the 2018-19 season, Eberle picked up 37 points, including 19 goals. Previously, he had five straight seasons with at least 40 points, getting at least 50 points in four of those. Eberle also had five straight seasons with at least 20 goals from 2013-14 to 2017-18.

The Islanders have now taken care of two of their pending free agents. Earlier this offseason, they re-signed Brock Nelson to a six-year deal worth $6 million annually. The Islanders still have several free agents to sign, including Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner and team captain Anders Lee.

Eberle’s extension is quite relevant to the latter. Of their four main free agents, Eberle was the one people thought the Islanders wouldn’t re-sign. Especially coming off of a down year. Re-signing Eberle calls into question how certain the Islanders are that they’ll be able to re-sign Lee.

The Isles lost their captain John Tavares last summer and came out just fine. However, losing their team captain in consecutive seasons would be a catastrophe for the Islanders. There’s still plenty of time for the Isles to negotiate a new deal with Lee. But it’s time for Islanders fans to start worrying. Eberle’s extension is an eye-opener.

Reportedly, the Islanders and Lee have been having discussions, so that’s a good sign. The two sides aren’t far apart when it comes to the cap hit. However, they are having issues agreeing on the term.

Lee is nearing 30 years old, so the Islanders would like to keep it around five to six years. Meanwhile, the Isles captain wants a seven-year or eight-year deal. It will be interesting to see which side gives him, or if either side gives in. Lee would be one of the top free agents on the market.