The 2023 NHL Entry Draft is around the corner and teams are preparing to add elite prospects in one of the deepest draft classes in recent years. Ideally, the New York Islanders will keep their selection in the second round and add a prospect to help out one of the league’s worst farm systems. However, if the right player is available, general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello will take advantage and flip the pick for an NHL-ready player.
There’s already been a lot of movement ahead of the draft. The Boston Bruins traded Taylor Hall to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Philadelphia Flyers dealt Kevin Hayes to the St. Louis Blues, and the Winnipeg Jets moved Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings. The Calgary Flames made Tyler Toffoli available for trade and under 26 hours from the draft, they moved him to the New Jersey Devils.
Related: 2023 NHL Draft Guide
It’s possible that on draft night, more players are moved and Lamoriello in particular will look to add a skater to help out his veteran-heavy roster. Last year, the Islanders acquired Alexander Romanov in exchange for the 13th overall pick, adding a second-pair defenseman who played a big role on the team this season. While this year’s draft is a deeper class and a second-round selection won’t field a player of Romanov’s caliber, it would be no surprise if Lamoriello makes another big move at this year’s draft.
Scott Laughton
A lot of eyes are on the Flyers and first-year GM Daniel Briere with the offseason getting underway. After trading defenseman Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Hayes to the Blues, the message the front office is sending is that they are looking to rebuild the team from the ground up. The question is which veteran will the Flyers trade next?
The player the Islanders would hope to acquire is Travis Konecny, arguably the best skater on the Flyers who scored 31 goals and 30 assists this year. However, the Flyers won’t part easily from their star player and the asking price for Konecny is at least a first-round selection. The Islanders could acquire him for their first-round pick in next year’s draft but a move would likely happen later in the offseason.
While Konecny is an unlikely addition, the player the Islanders can look to add is Scott Laughton. He has three years left on a deal worth $3 million per year, making him a player that could be acquired and fit under the salary cap. More importantly, he is coming off a career year where he scored 18 goals and 25 assists, making him a viable middle-six option.
The Islanders could make a move for him to add a depth-scoring presence and upgrade the forward unit for the next three seasons. While he wouldn’t be a splash acquisition, he would be a reliable well-rounded skater on the Jean-Gabriel Pageau line that would help upgrade the offense.
Brock Boeser
The Islanders and the Vancouver Canucks were notable trade partners this season as the two teams put together a blockbuster trade at the All-Star Break. The Islanders acquired Bo Horvat in exchange for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a first-round selection, a deal that helped both sides involved. This offseason, the two teams could once again be trade partners, especially ahead of the draft.
Brock Boeser would be the ideal playmaker for the Islanders to add to the wing. While they need a goal scorer, specifically a sharpshooter that can find the back of the net off of Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson‘s passes, a pass-first player would also upgrade the offense. Boeser scored 18 goals and 37 assists this season, making him a great skater to play on the wing of Nelson or Horvat, his former teammate. Likewise, he would also create scoring chances for Anders Lee, who crowds the net in the offensive zone and waits for the puck to find him.
A second-round pick seems like a lot for Boeser considering how talented this year’s draft class is. However, the Islanders are looking to win now. Additionally, he isn’t a rental with two more years left on his contract, making him a player that the Islanders can acquire to contend for multiple seasons.
Noah Hanfin
The Calgary Flames are looking to move on from a lot of their veteran players. Toffoli was traded to the Devils for Yegor Sharangovich and a 2023 third-round pick, signaling that the new front office is looking to rebuild this team from scratch. Along with Toffoli, the Flames could trade stars like Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, two players that could kickstart their rebuild.
Hanifin would be a great addition to the Islanders’ defensive unit. He’s not a two-way player but is a consistent presence in his own zone and has the speed to keep up with opposing offenses. If the Islanders can’t re-sign Scott Mayfield, Hanfin would be a viable replacement. While his contract expires after next season, he’s only 26 years old, making him a player Lamoriello would hope to re-sign to be a key part of the defense for years to come.
Adam Henrique
Adam Henrique is 33 years old and in the final year of his contract. However, he’s still playing at a high level on an Anaheim Ducks team that has been one of the worst in the league in recent seasons. He scored 22 goals and 16 assists this season and has scored 20 goals or more in five of the last seven seasons. Like Zach Parise, he’s an instinctive goal scorer and Lamoriello could look to bring the former New Jersey Devil back east with the Islanders in need of scoring depth.
Other Players The Islanders Can Target
There were reports that Torey Krug was part of a three-team trade involving the Flyers and the Islanders. However, the deal fell through because Krug wouldn’t lift his no-trade clause to go to the Flyers. The Islanders would hope to acquire the two-way defenseman but they would need the Blues to take some of his $6.5 million per year salary to make a trade work.
Another intriguing player for the Islanders to acquire is Ducks forward Frank Vatrano. He has two years left on a team-friendly contract, making him an option for Lamoriello who can take on his $3.6 million per year salary. Additionally, Vatrano adds a scoring presence on the wing which would fill a need on the roster.
A second-round pick typically wouldn’t field an NHL-caliber player. However, in a deep class, a lot of teams will be looking to add extra selections with the hopes of finding an elite young player. Likewise, it gives Lamoriello an opportunity to make a splash to add to a team looking to win now.
