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Lou Lamoriello began the offseason by saying that “nothing is sacred” to him when it comes to the improvements he would consider making to the Islanders’ roster after their second consecutive first-round playoff elimination.

And then there is this little thing in the NHL called the “salary cap ceiling,” which will increase by $4.5 million to $88.0 million for 2024-25 and greatly influences personnel decisions.

The convergence of intentions and financial reality comes at noon Monday when the NHL free agent market opens. The Islanders have less than $6 million in salary cap space with 18 players under contract. But that doesn’t include injured defenseman Scott Mayfield ($3.5 million) and forward Maxim Tsyplakov ($950,000), who were signed from the KHL.

There is a (perpetual) need for a top-notch scoring wing to complete a trio with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal. There may be a need for a defenseman, as Mike Reilly ($3 million salary cap hit last season), Robert Bortuzzo ($950,000) and Sebastian Aho ($825,000) are all unrestricted free agents.

Longtime fourth-line mainstays Cal Clutterbuck ($1.75 million) and Matt Martin ($1.5 million) are also UFAs who are not expected to be re-signed before the start of free agency.

Lamoriello admitted on Saturday at the conclusion of the two-day NHL Draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas that he may have to accept salary cuts in order to afford some imports.

“Depending on what’s available and what can be done,” Lamoriello said. “I don’t take back anything I’ve said. I have every intention of changing something. But it’s a cliche not to just do it. It might take some time. It’s not something we’re going to rush or do.”

“But if there is a change that helps us, we will make it. We are committed to winning, that is the most important thing.”

One possibility would be to eliminate the final two seasons of the six-year, $30 million contract with third-line center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Second-line center Brock Nelson has one season left on his six-year, $36 million contract and winger Kyle Palmieri has one season left on his four-year, $20 million contract. Both could be more attractive trade objects than Pageau, but trading them could do the opposite of improving the Islanders.

Both will be eligible for contract extensions starting Monday, but Lamoriello said new deals for either are not a priority for the organization right now. Lamoriello added that the same is true for top defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov, both of whom will receive significant raises next summer as restricted free agents with arbitration rights.

“That’s no disrespect to them,” Lamoriello said. “I think the focus now is to put this team in the best situation possible.”

Still, it’s hard to imagine how the Islanders could compete for high-profile UFA forwards like Sam Reinhart of the Panthers ($6.5 million), Steven Stamkos of the Lightning ($8.5 million), Jake Guentzel of the Hurricanes ($6 million) or Elias Lindholm of the Canucks ($4.85 million).

The same goes for the top defenders on the market, such as Brady Skjei ($5.25 million) and Brett Pesce ($4.025 million) of the Hurricanes or Brandon Montour ($3.5 million) of the Panthers.

The X-factor, however, is not only the increase in the salary cap for the upcoming season, but also the projected jump to $92.0 million for 2025-26.

This came after the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic limited the salary cap to just $2 million between 2019 and this offseason.

“As a GM, it’s always helpful when the cap is raised,” said Wild GM Bill Guerin, who played for the Islanders from 2007 to 2009. “There’s always a business side to it, you have to be aware of that. It can go a long way in improving your team, not just giving your current players more money, but actually bringing in other players and improving your team.”

The Islanders’ restricted free agents include forwards Simon Holmstrom, Oliver Wahlstrom and Ruslan Iskhakov, the latter two of whom have arbitration rights, and minor league defenseman Dennis Cholowski, who is also arbitration-eligible.

Wahlstrom, the 11th pick in 2018 who struggled to establish a permanent spot in the NHL and had just two goals and four assists in 32 games last season, received a qualifying offer. But Lamoriello hinted he might trade Wahlstrom to give him a fresh start.