The Islanders have announced the signing of free agent defenseman Marshall Warren to a two-year, entry-level contract beginning next season. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The Long Island native was a sixth-round pick of the Wild in 2019, but his exclusive signing rights expired last summer, and he became a UFA. Warren, 23 later this week, had spent four seasons with Boston College and served as their captain in 2022-23. However, he entered the transfer portal ahead of this season and landed with the University of Michigan for his graduate campaign. There, the left-shot defender was named an alternate captain and posted four goals, 14 assists, 18 points, and 30 PIMs in 41 games.
A two-way blue-liner by trade, Warren isn’t the stereotypically stout archetype the Isles tend to prefer on the back end. He’s not overly large at 6’0″ and 181 lbs and doesn’t frequently get involved in the play physically. He makes up for it with great puck skills and strong skating, which he uses as an important factor in his team transitioning the puck up the ice.
He put up solid numbers throughout his college career, totaling 24 goals and 51 assists for 75 points with a +32 rating in 171 appearances across five seasons. The Islanders will control his signing rights as an RFA when his ELC expires in 2026, and he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency again in the 2028 off-season.