The Latest York Islanders are holding down the third spot within the Metropolitan Division coming out of the Olympic break. Few expected them to be here after last 12 months’s disastrous season. But recent Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche now has to administer his first NHL trade deadline with playoff expectations looming. What are their dream and nightmare scenarios heading into March 6?
The Islanders have just over $6 million in cap space heading into the deadline with a cabinet filled with picks and prospects to deal. Additionally they have two pending free agents, JG Pageau and captain Anders Lee, who could herald more future assets in the event that they resolve to sell. Darche has the chance to go either direction on the deadline, which sets up drastically different scenarios.
What should Islanders fans be dreaming of ahead of the trade deadline? And what disastrous situations should keep them up at night?
The Islanders could make an enormous splash as a buyer
Matthew Schaefer has given the Islanders recent life along with his Calder Trophy-caliber season. His play on defense has invigorated the locker room and the fan base all season long. Darche should reward the team by making an enormous splash on the trade deadline, which can be an Islanders fan’s dream. St Louis Blues center Robert Thomas ought to be the goal for Darche.
The Blues are within the basement of the league with a brand new general manager coming in next season. Each Thomas and Jordan Kyrou are reportedly on the trade block as Alexander Steen is probably going going to start out a rebuild. Each players have trade protection, but playing for an up-and-coming Islanders team might be enough to get them to waive.
The Islanders need to enhance their scoring, which Kyrou brings greater than Thomas. But centers are key, and Thomas can take draws and push Mathew Barzal back to the wing. Either player can be an ideal fit for Latest York, which has the assets to make this deal.
The Islanders have two first-round picks this 12 months, so parting with the Avalanche’s pick can be a sensible move for one in every of these players. Their top forward prospect, Cole Eiserman, can be a part of the deal, as could Pageau, to clear enough roster space.
Even whether it is a pending free agent that the Islanders grab, adding something on the deadline is a must for Darche. This team could use a lift after their electric first two-thirds of the season. Darche has already given them Ondrej Palat and Carson Soucy, and more ought to be on the best way.
Doing nothing is all the time the worst-case scenario
The NHL trade deadline is frequently some of the lively days of the league 12 months. Contenders load up, bottom-dwellers unload and prepare for the draft, and the teams in the center have to choose. Those teams in the center are sometimes probably the most intriguing, which is where the Islanders will sit on March 6. That doesn’t mean that Darche can let the deadline go by without picking a side.
The Islanders have stood pat prior to now, namely after they were guaranteed to miss the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bringing back Semyon Varlamov did help them down the road, but keeping Cal Clutterbuck was meaningless. The draft pick they may have gotten back could have modified things. Draft picks are all lottery tickets, and prospects are usually not far more prone to hit, but sometimes, that’s one of the best ways forward.
If Pageau and Lee remain on the Islanders’ payroll on March 7, which means they’re making a playoff push. But this forward group just isn’t ok to make a legitimate championship run with no significant addition. Aiming for the center of the pack just isn’t going to assist get Schaefer playoff experience and make the team enticing without spending a dime agents to hitch.
Darche’s deadline moves could also be impacted by his opinions on Lou Lamoriello’s draft picks. Eiserman leads the pack amid a solid season with Boston University. However the Terriers are usually not prone to make the NCAA Tournament, so he might be joining the Islanders soon. If he sees Eiserman as the reply to the Islanders’ scoring woes this season, it might be a stand-pat deadline.