Your New York Islanders are 6-3-1 in their
last ten and had some big games, including a 4-1 win against Detroit and a 1-0
win on the road in New Jersey. But right
now, they are on a 6 game road trip that starts in Minnesota tomorrow and ends
in Manhattan against their arch rivals on March 3rd. The Isles sit in Metro’s 3rd spot behind the
Rangers by 5 points and their conference standings battle won’t get any easier
with the playoffs looming.
With the NHL trade deadline closing in (2/29
at 3 p.m. eastern) and an uncertain salary cap for the 2016-17 season, GM’s
should be even more guarded on player trades.
That doesn’t mean teams out of contention or those wanting to shed
salary, wouldn’t consider moving a commodity if the price is right. Especially those who deal in the Canadian dollar. While they could be sellers to a point, your
New York Islanders are in the hunt and will most likely ride out the deadline
by keeping Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsend and Travis Hamonic on the roster and take
their chances on resigning them in the summer or entertaining trades prior to
free agency. Snow won’t be likely to do
much right now and isn’t likely to give up anything substantial unless the
right deal could come around with similar returns. They even let former D FA target, Christian Ehrhoff
clear waivers instead of putting in a claim that would have only cost them the
remainder of his $1.5M salary.
If a trade is done by the NYI, it would be
for an upgrade that fits their plan. Garth
Snow isn’t the kind of GM that goes for a right now, big splash kind of
acquisition. While an aging, pending
free agent to be could be a possibility, they would need to fit the scheme and
be valuable enough for the Isles to give up only expendable assets. Secondary prospects would be a more likely commodity,
but their return probably won’t bring back a significant haul unless packaged
with a few more pieces. And the Isles 1st round draft pick would be available,
but only for a can’t-say-no deal in my opinion.
Sure, I’d like to grab P.K. Subban from MTL
or guys like Nail Yakapov, Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or a Jordan Eberle
from the Oil, but their prices will probably be more than the Isles would give
up at the deadline. But I do have a
short list of five good players that I could see in the lineup for the
Islanders for the right deal. While these
guys are good and valuable players, I wouldn’t say all of them would exactly break
the bank, but I would say they are good at particular areas of the game.
1. Andrew Ladd, WPG, LW, 6’3, 200#, 30 yrs old
As the current captain of the Winnipeg Jets,
Ladd is the kind of player of may help the Isles take that final step in the
forward position. Ladd is deceptively efficient
around the net with 40 goals and 95 points in 139 games over the last 2 seasons.
Ladd fits the Isles character profile and can boast a 2 time Stanley Cup resume
and provide grit, special teams and be rotated throughout the lineup.
2. Scott Hartnell, CBJ, LW, 6’2, 214#, 33 yrs old
Hartnell is the kind of player you hate unless
he is on your team. You might also say with guys like Martin, Cizikas and
Clutterbuck, the Isles don’t need to trade for a player like him. But he is a gritty player who makes
goaltenders miserable with his play in front of the net and is defensively
skilled enough to fill in on the PK. He
would add even more depth to a talented Isles squad. Hartnell has 37 pts (18 & 19) in 57 GP so
far this season.
3. Jiri Hudler, CGY, C, 5’10,183#, 32 yrs old
Jiri Hudler is a small center, a player you
can argue that the Isles do not need.
But keep in mind Hudler is a season removed from 76 points in 78 GP and
boasts a lot of offensive skill. He has
33 points in 51 games could add versatility to a talented forward group in
Brooklyn.
4. Brent Seabrook CHI, D, 6’3, 220#, 30 yrs old.
Seabrook is good enough to be a core player,
but he is also playing a team with limited cap room and a very deep blue line. Much like Leddy, Seabrook could possibly be
pried loose for less than you might think and would immensely help the
Islanders on defense and offensively contribute (37 pts so far) from the back
end. This would be especially true after
the departure of Hamonic if he could be financially retained. He is a steady and reliable defensemen who
has a flair for the big goal.
5. Mark Giordano, CGY, D, 198#, 32 yrs old
With 37 points on the season so far, Giordano
has been one of the most reliable blue liners in the NHL over the past few
seasons. Although he is coming off
injury, Giordano is a good leader and solid skater and has strong PP and offensive
ability. After a slow start to the season,
he has come on in a big way including a streak of 27 points in 27 games at the
start of February.
While its more likely that the Islanders hold
fast and watch other teams make noise at the deadline, it is possible Snow
decides to add a piece or two in Brooklyn.
Sometimes, the right player can make a good team even better and the NYI
are starting to come down to the most crucial part of the 2015-16
campaign. Do the Islanders have a roster
Snow and Capuano will choose to ride into the era of the Islanders new majority
ownership?
Time will tell.
Isles Notes:
Ryan Pulock has been recalled from loan
(Bridgeport).
Hockey Notes:
The KHL is expanding to China.
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