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The Islanders bolstered their depth on Wednesday with a trio of signings as notable for the possibility they imply as for the players themselves.
Julien Gauthier inked a two-year, one-way deal at $787,500 average annual value, an industry source told The Post.
Karson Kuhlman and Brian Pinho each signed a two-way deal for one year, with both deals carrying a $775,000 cap hit at the NHL level, industry sources told The Post.
In the AHL, Kuhlman’s salary will be $300,000, though his contract includes $350,000 guaranteed at signing.
Gauthier, a former Ranger, is the biggest name of the bunch, and the fact his deal is one-way implies that the Islanders plan to keep him on the roster.
Given their lack of salary cap flexibility following the first day of free agency, that would seem to imply that they are planning on going into the season without either Zach Parise or restricted free agent Oliver Wahlstrom.
Parise, 38, is considering retirement.
With Gauthier on the roster, the Islanders are left with just $299,667 in salary cap space — not enough to sign anyone.
Though there is always the possibility of moving money around in order to afford both Parise and Wahlstrom, it says something that the Islanders no longer seem to be holding a spot open.
When he last spoke with media following the team’s signings on Saturday, general manager Lou Lamoriello did not have an update on Parise’s status.
“There’s nothing new at this point. But Zach will always fit on this roster,” Lamoriello said. “We know his situation. He is not back because of spending time with his family and I know he’s spending a lot of time with his family. But we’ll have an answer to that in the very near future.”
Gauthier, who will turn 26 in October, was dealt by the Rangers to Ottawa in February as part of the trade that brought Tyler Motte to New York.
The right-wing had struggled to consistently produce with the Rangers over three seasons, scoring just 26 total points in 131 games.
His production with Ottawa was a bit better, with five points in 17 games along with much better advanced stats.
After he put up a 40.3 expected goals rate and 40.7 goals for rate with the Rangers, those numbers jumped to 50.3 percent and 47.1 percent with a worse Senators team.
Exactly where Gauthier will fit in the Islanders’ lineup isn’t entirely clear and likely depends on how things end up shaking out with Parise and Wahlstrom.
Kuhlman, 27, adds another NHL-capable center to the organization. He played 47 games in the league last season, with the Kraken and Jets. Pinho, whose only NHL action came in two games with the 2020-21 Capitals, played in the Devils organization last season, scoring 28 points in the AHL.
Both figure to compete for a roster spot in camp, though they will likely start the season with AHL Bridgeport.
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