The Recent York Islanders were considered one of the feel-good stories of the NHL season after a 6-1 road trip in early November. They were in second place within the Eastern Conference for a fast moment. After which, it got here crashing down. As Alexander Romanov’s absence was felt on the blue line, Kyle Palmieri tore his ACL, ending his season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Monday that Islanders GM Mahieu Darche has a trade plan amid the injuries.
“And the one thing that seems pretty clear is that Darche is not going to do something silly short-term. If he does something that is short-term, it is not going to be an enormous price. It may be ‘It is smart for us.’ This just isn’t a man who desires to make a foul, long-term move without delay,” Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast.
“I at all times wonder, ‘Do you are attempting to make a trade where you trade a fourth or fifth-round pick for a man who is not playing somewhere?’ Like, are you able to plug a hole for an inexpensive price? I could see them trying that, but nothing that you just take a look at and say ‘Oh boy, in five years I will regret that one for a short-term fix,’” Friedman continued.
Islanders center JG Pageau can be out week-to-week, but is predicted back before the vacation break. With all of those injuries, their depth has been tested, they usually haven’t passed it. They were expected to be sellers coming into the season, and now they could must buy out of necessity.
The Islanders must be seeking to trade away each JG Pageau and Anders Lee before the NHL trade deadline in March. While the injuries have impacted their on-ice performance, it might be higher long-term. They may use some mid-round picks to enhance their depth after trading each forwards.