The New York Islanders are in a tough position with the salary cap, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are in an even worse position. The Isles have $3.1 million in space while the Leafs are using over $13 million in LTIR space to make it work.
It's going to be difficult for the Islanders to keep their pending free agents, but it's going to be even more difficult for the Toronto Maple Leafs to keep some of theirs. Like pending RFA Ilya Mikheyev.
It's possible the Leafs can't keep him. If he becomes available, the Islanders need to pounce on him.