The New York Islanders are in an interesting place in the post-All-Star Break pre-trade deadline period. They have a 22-18-12 record and are in the middle of the Metropolitan Division. Yet, despite the improvements under new head coach Patrick Roy, they remain an average team in the Eastern Conference. They’ve looked better but aren’t good enough to contend, not yet at least.
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Roy was the first spark that the Islanders needed, but they still need a big move to put them back in the contending conversation. They’ve played a tighter and safer game but still struggle defensively, allowing 16 goals in their last four games. Likewise, the offense has carried them but the unit is below league average, averaging only 2.94 goals per game, and lacks versatility. During general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello’s tenure, the team hasn’t been active at the trade deadline, but that could change this season.
The Islanders face the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, Feb. 13, a team that has struggled with a 21-20-10 record. They have unraveled lately with only three wins in the last nine games. The Kraken could look to trade some of their skaters at the deadline and many of them could fill a crucial need on the Islanders. New York needs help on defense and could also look to add a player who was a valuable part of the Stanley Cup Semifinal runs in 2020 and 2021.
Jordan Eberle
This is a reunion that fans are hoping for. Jordan Eberle was on the top line with Mathew Barzal and was a reliable shooting presence on the wing during the Islanders’ deep runs. Lamoriello’s decision to leave him unprotected in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft proved costly, as the Kraken selected him, while the top line didn’t look the same in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
To be fair, allowing Eberle to leave opened up cap space for the team to extend Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and Kyle Palmieri. That said, the loss of the top-line winger left Barzal without a shooter on his line, resulting in an offensive drop. Barzal has been unlocked this season with Bo Horvat on his line, a dynamic scorer at center, yet Eberle proved a valuable part of the offense that the team never replaced.
The cost to acquire Eberle starts with his average annual value (AAV) of $5.5 million, making him a difficult player to acquire at the trade deadline. On top of that, the Kraken wouldn’t trade him for cheap, considering he’s both a veteran presence on a young team and a perennial 20-goal scorer. Even with his contract expiring after the season, he is a reliable scorer, and that’s tough to find at the deadline.
The Islanders would have to move two pieces to acquire him. They wouldn’t be prized assets but valuable enough to convince the Kraken to move on from the veteran. Skaters like Oliver Wahlstrom and Julien Gauthier stand out as depth players Lamoriello can move, while a second or third-round draft pick would also be part of a deal. It’s a reasonable haul for a rental but not one where Lamoriello is mortgaging the team’s future.
Adding Eberle would allow the Islanders to make a push in the Eastern Conference. He could play in multiple places upfront and upgrade the offense. Reuniting him with Barzal on the top line seems like the best fit, as he can remain a great scorer while also playing on the same line as Horvat. Likewise, a depth role would round out the offense and give the team three potent scoring lines for the homestretch of the season. Eberle has a modified no-movement clause, making him a tough player to trade, but he might be interested in a return to Long Island, where he played some of his best hockey.
Adam Larsson
Adam Larsson started his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils, drafted fourth overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, making him a former Lamoriello selection. A return to the East Coast would allow him to join Kyle Palmieri as a former Devil playing a veteran role on the Islanders.
He’s been one of the bright spots for the Kraken and helped transform their defense into a great unit, as the team averages only 2.86 goals against per game. Larsson leads the unit with 3.2 defensive point shares, while his 96 blocked shots and 23:05 ice time rank second on the defense. His contract expires after the 2024-25 season, which makes him a valuable defenseman ahead of the trade deadline, one that could yield the Kraken a significant return even with a $4 million AAV that might scare off a few teams pressed against the salary cap.
Larsson fills a void on an Islanders defense that has struggled this season. He’s a shot-blocking, hard-hitting, disciplined defenseman who would immediately improve a unit that is allowing 3.31 goals per game. Like Eberle, the Islanders would have to give up a similar haul to acquire him, and similarly, they have to hope they’re not one of the teams on his modified no-movement clause. That said, he’s the type of defenseman Lamoriello wants on the unit and would fix the defense.
Alex Wennberg
Alex Wennberg wouldn’t be the splash acquisition to put the Islanders over the top. Instead, he’d be a valuable depth skater who they can acquire at a reasonable price. He’s a free agent after the season and would likely field a second or third-round draft selection.
He has eight goals and 13 assists this season and helped out a Kraken offense that has otherwise struggled, averaging only 2.76 goals per game. Adding Wennberg to the Islanders’ lineup would provide a scoring presence to the third line, which has struggled to generate offense. He wouldn’t turn the offense into one of the best, but would be a significant upgrade in the same way Pierre Engvall helped out the middle of the forward unit when he was added at the deadline last season.
Justin Schultz
Justin Schultz would be a rental addition, but he’s a veteran two-way defenseman that many teams will look to add for a playoff run. He’s scored 68 goals and 246 assists in his 12-year career and was a key part of deep playoff runs for the Pittsburgh Penguins, helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017.
The Islanders lack a playmaking presence at the point outside of Noah Dobson, and adding Schultz would bring that much-needed two-way presence, something they’ll need for the postseason. In recent seasons, the teams that went on to win the Cup had playmakers at the point who could help the offense when it struggles.
Schultz has seen his role decline this season, as he’s now a depth defenseman for the Kraken. His 15:59 ice time is a significant drop from his career average of 19:47, and at 33 years old, he’s lost a step as a skater. However, he’s worth adding as an under-the-radar defenseman who can upgrade the unit. The Islanders wouldn’t need to move a lot to acquire him as they would only surrender a third-round draft selection, and they can slide the veteran right into the lineup.
Other Kraken Skaters The Islanders Can Target
If the Kraken want to move William Borgen at the deadline, the Islanders could look to add him to strengthen the defense. Borgen was one of their expansion draft selections, and with a $2.7 million AAV contract that expires after the 2024-25 season, he’s a player they would prefer to keep. However, at 27 years old, his trade value is at a maximum as a reliable second or third-pair defenseman.
In terms of defense, the Islanders can also target Brian Dumoulin, who, like Schultz, is a veteran on a team-friendly contract. Dumoulin plays a role similar to Larsson, where he is a disciplined skater in the defensive zone and limits shots on the net, making him an interesting option for the Islanders to acquire to fix the unit.
Is there a skater on the Kraken the Islanders can acquire at the trade deadline? Let us know in the comment section below.
