UTAH — Anders Lee signed a three-year contract with the Utah Mammoth on July 1, 2026, for an annual salary of $5.4 million. Lee informed the New York Islanders on June 30 that he planned to test the free agent market.

The New York Islanders and Lee failed to reach a contract agreement before free agency began. Negotiations between the two parties stalled over the term of the contract rather than the annual salary. The Islanders had improved their contract offer in the later stages of these negotiations.

Lee served as captain for the New York Islanders for eight seasons. He played 923 NHL games, all with the franchise. In the 2025-26 season, he recorded 19 goals and 42 points across 82 games.

TSN insider Pierre LeBrun stated on June 30: "The Islanders were informed this morning that captain Anders Lee is headed to the UFA market." LeBrun added: "So Lee heads to market. Door open to Isles as well while hearing from other teams tomorrow."

New York Islanders General Manager Mathieu Darche commented prior to Lee's signing. "July 1 is Wednesday. I talked with the agent [Neil Sheehy] yesterday. … Still talking. We'll see what happens in the next three days," Darche said. Lee turns 36 years old on July 4, 2026.

Lee was originally selected by the Islanders in the sixth round of the 2009 NHL Draft. During his tenure with the team, Lee reached the NHL conference finals in 2020 and 2021. Prior to his professional career, Lee played college hockey at Notre Dame.

The Islanders missed the playoff cutline by eight points in the 2025-26 season. That season, the team also fired coach Patrick Roy with four games remaining in the regular season.