Islanders agree to deals with trio of RFA's

*Photo from AM New York*

   Yeah, it definitely took a while, but the New York Islanders have signed some players. The Islanders have agreed to new contracts with D Noah Dobson, D Alexander Romanov, and LW Kieffer Bellows, all RFA's. The Islanders broke the news on Monday.

   The biggest name here is Dobson, a right shot D coming off a strong season with the Islanders. He made just under $900,000 last year, and gets a big pay raise. His new contract is 3 years and $12 million, with a $4 million AAV. He will still be an RFA when the deal expires after the 2024-2025 season.

   Dobson said of his new contract that "Looking back to the second half of the year, I was happy with the steps I took, and I think just coming into the offseason, just try to really use the extra time. We've have to take another step this year, and just excited about the next three years to be able to continue and grow and build off my year last year."

   Last season with the Islanders was Dobson's 3rd year in the league. He made big strides last season, notching a career high 13 goals and 38 assists, recording a -3 plus/minus rating while averaging 21:28 of ice time, playing in a career high 80 regular season games.

   Another notable name is Romanov, who the Islanders acquired from the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL Draft. His deal is also a 3 year pact, worth $2.5 million per season. There are no bonuses in his deal, and like Dobson, Romanov will still be an RFA when his deal expires.

   Last season, spent in Montreal, was Romanov's second in the league. He didn't exactly light up the scoresheet, tallying 3 goals and 10 assists. He posted a -9 plus/minus rating across 20:24 of ice time, playing in 79 games for the last place Canadiens.

   The final piece to the puzzle is Bellows, a first round draft pick in 2016 who hasn't quite lived up to the hype yet. After making $750,000 last season, Bellows gets a one year deal this time around. He'll make $1.2 million this season, and will still be an RFA next offseason.

   Last season was Bellows' 3rd in the NHL, and he took a big step forward in games played. He posted career highs in goals and assists, notching 6 and 13 respectively. He recorded a -1 plus/minus rating in a career high 11:52 of ice time, playing in 45 games last season.

   Asked about his outlook entering the year, Bellows said that "I see myself as being a regular in the lineup. That's what I want to be. I want to be making a big impact from Day One, and that's what I plan to do. I plan to be good defensively but bring offensive flair, use my shot and score some goals for this team. I expect myself to have a great year."

   These signings by the Islanders are the first moves in a quiet offseason for the team on Long Island. The most notable transaction they had made prior was promoting assistant coach Lane Lambert to head coach.