New York Islanders sign RFA Parker Wotherspoon, UFAs Nikita Soshnikov and Cory Schneider
The New York Islanders made a few signings on Wednesday, re-signing restricted free agent defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, as well as signing unrestricted free agent winger Nikita Soshnikov and goalie Cory Schneider.
#Isles News: The New York Islanders announced today that goaltender Cory Schneider, forward Nikita Soshnikov and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon have signed one-year deals.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 21, 2022Wotherspoon was the Islanders’ final restricted free agent defenseman that the team needed to sign. They signed him to a one year deal, with the cap hit unconfirmed at this time. He was a fourth-round pick for the team in 2015 and has yet to play in an NHL game. He played 57 games for the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL in 2021-22, with three goals, 21 assists, and 24 points on the year.
Schneider returns to the Islanders for his third straight season after he was bought out by the New Jersey Devils in 2020. He was signed to a one-year deal with the Isles, with the cap hit also unconfirmed at this time. He started just one game for the Islanders in 2021-22, stopping 27 of 30 shots in a winning effort. He also played 30 games in the AHL for Bridgeport, with a 14-11-4 record and a .921 save percentage.
Soshnikov makes his return to the NHL after spending the past three seasons in the KHL. His deal is also just one year, and he also has a $750,000 cap hit, the league minimum. He spent the 2021-22 season between CSKA Moscow and Omsk Avangard, with four goals, 12 assists, and 16 points in 33 games total, along with five goals, three assists, and eight points in 13 playoff games. Soshnikov has some familiarity with Lou Lamoriello as well, as his three seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs came when Lamoriello was the general manager.
While they’ve made a few small moves throughout the offseason, the Islanders failed to make a big splash during the offseason. Aside from not bringing back Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene, firing Barry Trotz and replacing him with Lane Lambert, and acquiring Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens, they are bringing back an almost identical roster to the one that missed the playoffs last season.