This trade deadline was a weird feeling for New York Islanders fans. Last season, they made the biggest splash by adding Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks. Years prior, they have added Kyle Palmieri, Jean Gabriel Pageau, and more. This season, they did nothing. While this may be what was best for the team, trusting their core and reassessing this summer, there were quite a few moves out there they could and should have pursued.
Jack Roslovic
The first trade is the New York Rangers’ acquisition of Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2026 conditional fourth-round selection. Roslovic is a strong bottom-six playmaker who can play center and right wing. The 27-year-old has six goals and 23 points in 40 games this season and went for a draft pick two years from now that is unlikely to amount to anything.
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The Islanders could have matched the offer and given Roslovic a more prominent role. With Brock Nelson now on the first line, the team could have used another center. Playing Roslovic as the third-line center and sending Casey Cizikas back down to the fourth line would have been great for the depth, but playing him on the third-line right wing alongside Cizikas would have been even better. With Oliver Wahlstrom not playing in the team’s past five games, he is likely done as an Islander, at least barring any injuries, so filling his hole would have been a tremendous help to this team’s depth.
Matt Dumba
The second trade is the Tampa Bay Lightning’s trade for Matt Dumba, previously on the Arizona Coyotes. The Lightning got Dumba and a seventh-round pick from Arizona for just a fifth-round pick, a borderline insignificant swap of draft picks. This move bolsters Tampa Bay’s defense at the cost of close to nothing.
With Scott Mayfield out long-term, the Islanders should have added a defenseman. While the third pairing of Mike Reilly and Sebastian Aho has been strong, adding Dumba would have been a zero-risk move. A former elite defenseman joining a team with a coaching staff that has recently gotten the most from its defenders seems like a match made in heaven, but unfortunately did not come true. Now, the Islanders will have no choice but to hope the Reilly-Aho pairing can maintain its play.
Jason Zucker
The third and final trade the Islanders should have made was Jason Zucker being sent to the Nashville Predators for just a sixth-round selection. Yes, that same Jason Zucker, who had 27 goals last season, was shipped for a sixth-round selection. While his hefty salary may have degraded his value, he should have gone for more.
There is no hiding the Coyotes franchise’s struggles financially, so getting rid of his contract was a necessity. But the Islanders should have found a way to make it work. Trading a better draft pick, such as a fourth-round selection, may have been enough to acquire a 50 percent retained Zucker. If not, they could have found a third team to make the money work. However, one thing is clear, and it is that adding a left-shot-scoring winger would have been the ideal addition to the Islanders’ core.
While every fan dreamt of adding Jake Guentzel or Pavel Buchnevich to this current group, that was never realistic. Also, some players were destined to end up elsewhere, either using their trade clauses or just having preferences, so it is unfair to say what any team should have done. However, all of Dumba, Zucker, and Roslovic were sent for draft capital, have expiring contracts, and are likely to have also been good fits on Long Island. So, while the team may not have been destined to land a big name, their lack of moves at all may be detrimental to their playoff aspirations.
