A 300-goal captain is hitting free agency and he is the bite Toronto wants at the age it fears

Anders Lee is testing the free agent market and though he could offer exactly the firepower Auston Matthews needs, it comes at a cost that would scare many away.

Lee is a tough-as-nails, gritty yet offensively potent power forward who has been captain of the Islanders since John Tavares left town in 2018. He's got over 300 goals and 1,500 hits and can provide Auston Matthews with the winger he needs not only offensively, but give him that security he's searching for. The only issue is that Lee is going to be 36, and time is the ultimate equalizer.

He's been a staple of the lineup for 14 years now and it seems like a foregone conclusion that he will finish up his career in Long Island. However according to Pierre LeBrun, that's far from the case.

Anders Lee has 308 goals and is headed to free agency after contract talks stall in Long Island

LeBrun noted that Lee's agent Neil Sheehy actually spoke to Islanders GM Mathieu Darche and with the two sides far apart on an extension and Lee searching for more money and perhaps a better opportunity; he's hitting the open market:

Looking like Anders Lee is preparing to hit free agency. His agent Neil Sheehy met with Isles GM Mathieu Darche today. Both sides far apart. The Isles intend to keep trying, they want their captain back.

But Lee appears most likely headed to market at the moment. Obviously things could change between now and July 1.

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Lee finished up his seven-year, $49-million deal this past season and is no doubt looking for an increase in pay even at the cost of a lengthier contract. If he's looking at $8.5-million or higher, that's basically the entirety of New York's cap without eating into future deals like Matthew Schaefer's.

But obviously he feels like he can make more money elsewhere, and with him 36 years old on July 3; he doesn't necessarily have the time to wait around for a rebuild or retooling.

Toronto needs that net-front presence and leadership but not at the cost of a guy who will be 36 in a month

There's no denying that adding someone the calibre of Lee wouldn't be a good thing for Toronto, and Lee has proven to be one of the best and most reliable wingers in the league, who has the possession numbers and well-rounded skillset that John Chayka would love.

But at what cost? If he truly is going to be making $8.5-million or more, that's a lot of money to commit to a player who could be 39 or 39 by the time his deal is up. Fans are complaining about Morgan Rielly and he's only 31.

So imagine the backlash if Toronto commits a third of their upcoming cap to a player who is older, at a higher risk of regression and he can't be moved? It's just walking back into that vicious cycle they're trying to break.

He's also coming off his lowest goal total since 2020-21 where he only played 27 games. He had a rough season in 2023-24 but that was coming off back-to-back 28-goal campaigns, so it was an outlier and he hit 29 goals a year ago.

That sudden drop-off is scary, and there's no telling if that's just another blip on the radar or a more telling story.

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