New York Islanders sign RFAs Noah Dobson, Alexander Romanov, Kieffer Bellows to contracts

The New York Islanders made a trio of RFA signings Monday, locking up forward Kieffer Bellows and defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov to contracts.

Dobson was signed to a three-year contract, reportedly worth $4 million per season. He was chosen 12th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, the second of the Islanders’ back-to-back picks in that round after Oliver Wahlstrom went 11th overall. Dobson had a breakout 2021-22 season, with 13 goals, 38 assists, and 51 points in 80 games this season, and was a big threat on the power play, with 22 of those points coming with the man advantage.

Romanov was also signed to a three-year contract, with a $2.5 million cap hit. He is the Islanders’ big addition this offseason (mostly due to a lack of other candidates), as the Islanders acquired him during the 2022 NHL Draft from the Montreal Canadiens along with a fourth-round pick for the Islanders 13th overall pick. He’s become a physical defensive defenseman in his short NHL career, but has struggled offensively with just four goals, 15 assists, and 19 points in 133 games.

Bellows is the lone player not on a three-year deal, as the Islanders extended him for one more season with a $1.2 million cap hit. He was drafted 19th overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, but has rounded out to more of a bottom six forward. He did have his best season offensively in 2021-22, with six goals, 13 assists, and 19 points in 45 games, all career-highs for the winger.

This marks the first transactions that the Islanders have made since trading for Romanov at the 2022 Draft, as general manager Lou Lamoriello has notably done nothing since the start of free agency. While there were rumours that they were in on guys like Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri, not only did they not land either of them, they have not signed anyone, not even to a minor league deal, until these RFA extensions today.