The New York Islanders are looking to make a big move in the offseason, whether it’s a trade or signing one of the top free agents. With the draft taking place on Thursday, July 7, general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello has plenty of options for not only moving the 13th-overall pick but one of the veteran players in a potential blockbuster move.
Related: New York Islanders’ Beauvillier Had a Season to Forget
The top player on the Islanders’ trading block is Anthony Beauvillier who took a step back last season and might thrive best in a new setting. There are many teams that could acquire the young forward especially ahead of the NHL Entry Draft and it would come as no surprise if he was moved in the upcoming week.
While Beauvillier is on the trade block, his skill set makes him a valuable player for other teams to acquire. He is a great skater and puck handler on the wing, and at 25 years old can be a young player that other teams can build around, especially in the top six of their forward units. Ideally, the Islanders would like to have in on the team next season, but after struggling to find a role in the forward unit, the team will look to move on from him as one of the players who could be part of a hockey trade.
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks seem like the perfect fit for Beauvillier — a young team that looked promising last season but fell apart after the All-Star break and finished the season with a 31-37-14 record, second-worst in the Pacific Division. Beauvillier would particularly thrive with the Ducks as one of the young forwards on the roster and add to the top six to possibly complement the playmaking ability of Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras, two of the team’s best young forwards.
The question for the Islanders would be what they can acquire in exchange for Beauvillier. The Ducks are still in the middle of their rebuild and along with hoping their prospects develop, the team will likely avoid trading away their draft picks, which are valuable to a younger roster. It’s possible the Islanders can acquire one of their veteran defensemen in a deal like Kevin Shattenkirk or Cam Fowler along with a later draft selection in the upcoming draft like the 22nd pick or the 42nd pick. However, the defensemen have become a valuable part of the Ducks’ roster considering they traded away Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson at the trade deadline and struggled on the defensive side of the ice, allowing 3.24 goals per game.
The Ducks are a great fit for Beauvillier but the Islanders ultimately will look for a team that can make a better offer. The Ducks could overwhelm them with multiple draft selections and a player like Fowler, but otherwise it’s unlikely a deal would happen between the two teams.
Chicago Blackhawks
The team could make a big move if they are willing to trade Alex DeBrincat or Patrick Kane. The Chicago Blackhawks are entering a difficult rebuild and after hiring head coach Luke Richardson, are looking to acquire as many draft selections and prospects as possible to help out the process. DeBrincat has been constantly linked to trades, and the Islanders could look to acquire the forward for a reasonable price, especially if Beauvillier is included in the deal.
Kane, on the other hand, is a face of the franchise and a player the Blackhawks would prefer to build around rather than trade away. However, with Kane entering the final year of his contract and one of the older players on the roster at 33 years old, the team could look to start from scratch and move him to further accelerate the rebuild. The Blackhawks will be reluctant to move on from their star forward and as a result, the Islanders would need to send three if not more pieces to acquire him, with Beauvillier being one of them.
Regardless of who is in the deal, the Blackhawks would benefit immensely from acquiring Beauvillier. He would be one of the young forwards in the top six that, if Richardson uses him in the right situations, could develop into an elite talent. Furthermore, the Islanders could trade the 13th-overall pick ahead of the draft as part of any offer, a valuable part of a trade involving the two teams considering the Blackhawks don’t have a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken had an inaugural season to forget, finishing the 2021-22 season with a 27-49-6 record and in last place in the Pacific Division. The NHL’s newest franchise looks to be building a contender from the ground up and the younger the roster is the better. Beauvillier is an ideal player for the Kraken to target as he can become a staple of an otherwise weak forward unit, one that only had six 10-goal scorers.
The ideal player the Islanders could acquire from the Kraken is Jordan Eberle. The veteran skater was selected by the Kraken in the NHL expansion draft last year and his sharp shooting on the wing was greatly missed by Mathew Barzal and the entire forward unit. Eberle for Beauvillier in a 1-for-1 deal could benefit both teams, but the Islanders could also throw in the 13th-overall pick as part of a deal.
Likewise, the Islanders could look to acquire defenseman, Vince Dunn, ahead of the draft. While the Kraken defense struggled last season, allowing 3.46 goals per game, Dunn had a strong season on the left side of the unit and could be a great pairing for Noah Dobson. The Islanders could acquire a handful of players on the Kraken and have the luxury of offering both Beauvillier and the 13th-overall pick as a strong return.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are in the middle of an interesting offseason and oddly enough, mirror the Islanders. Both teams played great in second half of last season and, after missing the playoffs, are looking to take a bigger leap next season.
The Canucks are looking to contend next season and after extending Brock Boeser for three more years, the team looks poised to possibly buy-in. However, one of their other talented forwards, J.T. Miller, is entering the final year of his contract and the front office could look to move him this offseason. The Islanders would be a great fit for Miller and can offer the Canucks both Beauvillier and the 13th pick.
The move would be a win-win trade for the two teams involved. The Islanders would add a top-line forward while the Canucks would not only add a reliable puck handler with multiple years remaining on his contract, but also another draft selection in the top 20 of the upcoming draft. The Canucks already have the 15th-overall pick in the draft and acquiring the 13th as well would give them a significant advantage to acquire two young prospects for the farm system.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights took a step back last season and are in a difficult salary cap situation. However, with a veteran-filled roster, the team is looking to win now and still compete for the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights don’t sound like an ideal place for Beauvillier, as a competing and not rebuilding team. However, considering the team is still trying to open up salary cap space, and already traded Evgenii Dadonov to do so, they look poised to continue to make moves this offseason.
The player that particularly stands out for the Golden Knights is Max Pacioretty who is entering the final year of his contract and is a $7 million hit to the salary cap. A 1-for-1 deal with Pacioretty and Beauvillier would open up roughly $2 million in cap space for the Golden Knights while also landing a young, talented forward who could benefit from the speed skating of center Jack Eichel. The Islanders, meanwhile, would add an elite forward to their top two lines and similarly put themselves in a position to compete next season.
Other Teams That Could Be Interested in Beauvillier Ahead of the Draft
The Montreal Canadiens are always an intriguing destination for the Quebec-native Beauvillier. However, aside from the return home, the Canadiens can be an ideal trade destination as a team looking to rebuild and move on from veteran skaters like Josh Anderson, Jeff Petry, and Mike Hoffman. Likewise, an interesting team to watch ahead of the draft is the Winnipeg Jets, a team that could rebuild next season and move on from veteran players like Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele.
The Islanders are entering the draft with a handful of avenues to improve. While they could refuel the prospect pool, the 13th pick along with Beauvillier could field a strong return and Lamoriello won’t pass on a great offer to drastically improve the team.
