The New York Islanders face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, Dec. 21 for the Islanders’ first game in five days. Considering how all the teams in New York State have played lately, it might have been for the best. The teams are heading in opposite directions this season with the Islanders at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division while the Maple Leafs have one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.
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It’s not common for the Islanders, notably general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello, to trade away players at the trade deadline. However, if things continue to trend this way, they might be sellers out of necessity. The holiday roster freeze is in effect at the moment, but when it ends, the Maple Leafs can and should target a few Islanders with the knowledge they will be making a push for the Stanley Cup.
Brock Nelson
If the Islanders want to move Brock Nelson, he would get them the biggest return. The question is if he will be traded or not. He’s an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after the season and ideally, he will re-sign to remain with the team that drafted him. If there’s any player the Islanders would sign to an extension this offseason, it’s Nelson, one of their best players and key parts of the franchise.
If the Islanders decide to shop Nelson, a lot of teams will pursue him heavily. He’s a top-six center who can both create scoring chances and find the back of the net but more importantly, has a shot that can make a difference in the playoffs. The Islanders might not receive three or more pieces in return as the Bo Horvat trade and the Elias Lindholm trade generated, but he will at least give Lamoriello a top prospect and a high draft pick.
For the Maple Leafs, that price isn’t out of their range and it’s worth it for them to make that type of move. They have a great top six but adding another forward who can elevate the offense in the playoffs will go a long way. They can have Nelson play the wing alongside John Tavares or have him center a depth line with Max Domi on the wing. His skill would be what the Maple Leafs need to bolster the offense and set them up for a deep playoff run.
Kyle Palmieri
Nelson is unlikely to be traded but if there’s any pending UFA who will be moved, it’s Kyle Palmieri. He was acquired at the 2021 Trade Deadline from the New Jersey Devils and has been one of the best scorers on the team since. This season is one of his best as he’s scored 11 goals and added 13 assists as he remains a top shooter on the wing.
Teams are always looking to add scoring at the trade deadline and Palmieri is the type of scorer teams want to add for a playoff run. He won’t give the Islanders a significant return but he’d allow them to get at least one big piece in a trade. Whether it’s a top prospect, a first-round selection, or even a young NHL-ready player, a Palmieri trade could help set the Islanders up for a quick on-the-fly retool.
The Maple Leafs might want Nelson (at least the fanbase might) but Palmieri is a better fit. He’s a shooter on the wing who can find open looks on the net. In a playoff series, he’s a skater who can make a difference and generate offense for a team that typically comes up short on the offensive end of the ice in the playoffs.
Anders Lee
Like Nelson, Anders Lee is most likely going to remain an Islander for life. He’s the captain and while the New York Rangers traded their captain Jacob Trouba this season, Lee is a core part of the franchise. Even though he’s declined in recent seasons, he’s having one of the best campaigns of his career at 34 years old, scoring a team-leading 13 goals and adding 12 assists.
His great season is why the Islanders might sell high at the trade deadline. Lee is having a great season for the first time since his season-ending ACL injury in 2021 and Lamoriello can take advantage of this rare rebound season. Lee might not be worth multiple pieces in a deal but he could get them a big piece in a deal, especially if a team wants to add offense.
Lee isn’t the typical player that teams target at the trade deadline and the Maple Leafs don’t need a finisher who finds his spots near the net. The Maple Leafs would ideally add a shooter but Lee would upgrade the overall offense. Moreover, he isn’t a rental as he isn’t a UFA until the 2026 offseason. They can acquire him to have a key forward this season and next season to build a Cup-caliber team around.
Alexander Romanov
Unlike previous seasons, the Maple Leafs don’t need to upgrade the defense for a playoff push. They are led by a great blue line, allowing only 2.63 goals per game with Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson anchoring the unit. This team doesn’t need a defenseman but if they were to target one, Alexander Romanov is the type they’d go after.
Romanov isn’t a two-way defenseman. Instead, he’s a hard-hitting, shot-blocking, and fast-skating blue liner who shuts down opposing offences. The Maple Leafs could acquire him to play the second pair and help them win low-scoring games throughout a playoff run. Romanov is a restricted free agent (RFA) after this season and will only be 25 in the offseason, making him a more valuable player, but if the Islanders ask for two pieces in a trade, the Maple Leafs could be willing to make the move.
Other Islanders The Maple Leafs Can Target
If the Maple Leafs want to add forward depth — particularly a bottom-six center — they can target Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He’s declined in recent seasons but is still a two-way center who can add depth to the forward unit. The same can be said about Casey Cizikas, who is the Islanders fourth-line center and known for his forechecking, something the Maple Leafs might want to add for a playoff run.
Maxim Tsyplakov has become an intriguing trade chip for the Islanders. He’s an RFA after the season and ideally, the team will sign him to a long-term deal but at 26 and having a great season as a passer, he could bring in a great return in a trade. He’s not the type of player the Maple Leafs target for a playoff run but he’s the one they could add to strengthen the forward unit in the long run.
Who do you think the Maple Leafs should target from the Islanders? Let us know in the comments section below!
