Report: Islanders sign Alexander Romanov to six-year contract extension

A notable blueliner looks to be staying on Long Island for the foreseeable future.

According to multiple reports, the New York Islanders have re-signed defenseman Alexander Romanov to a six-year contract extension. The deal will carry an AAV of $6.25 million through the 2030-31 season.

PuckPedia was the first to report the news.

It’s quite the hefty pay bump for Romanov. His latest contract, a three-year deal signed with the Islanders in August 2022, carried a cap hit of only $2.5 million.

Some might question the new salary for the Russian defender, despite the salary cap growing over the next few years. He has been one of the Islanders’ more important defensemen over his tenure with the team, with his new deal tentatively making him the highest-paid blueliner on the Islanders’ roster, with the fifth-largest AAV on the team overall.

Injuries and illness limited his workload this past season, as Romanov played just 64 games during the 2024-25 campaign. Yet, he managed to score 20 points for the third year in a row, down from his back-to-back 22-point performances in his first two seasons with the club. His +5 plus/minus was also a step back from the past two years, especially 2023-24, when Romanov led the Isles with a +23 rating.

In 354 NHL appearances, including two seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Romanov has scored 17 goals and 66 assists for 83 points, with a career rating of +33. He’s also posted two points in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games with a +3 rating.

With the extension, the Islanders are projected to have less than $16.5 million in cap space next season, according to CapWages.