The NHL trade deadline is on Friday, March 8, and numerous players are likely to be traded in the coming days. The New York Islanders appeared to be sellers a week ago, but their three-game winning streak puts them in a position to improve the roster with a trade or two. Knowing their general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello, they’ll do just that, whether it’s a little addition or a blockbuster deal.
The Islanders’ top needs are a two-way defenseman and a middle-six forward. Given that they have a large number of defensemen on the roster, but just one who can offer scoring from the point, the forward unit is more likely to be addressed. A middle-six forward will not cost the Islanders much in return, making the deal the most plausible for Lamoriello ahead of the deadline, given the team’s lack of assets to trade in the first place.
Alex Wennberg
Alex Wennberg is the depth forward that several clubs are trying to add at the trade deadline. Ironically, this boosts his worth and provides the Seattle Kraken more bargaining power before the deadline, and it’s one of the reasons he’s been kept out of the lineup. It’s clear why Wennberg is a valuable skater to acquire. He’s a pending unrestricted free agency (UFA) at 29 years old, but he’s a two-way center with nine goals and 16 assists this season, demonstrating his ability to aid a contender in various ways.
Fans and pundits alike expect Wennberg to join the Colorado Avalanche and the New York Rangers. That is not to say the Islanders cannot make a bid for him. Lamoriello may have to give up a prospect and a middle-round draft pick to persuade the Kraken to trade him, but the move would be beneficial to both clubs involved. The Kraken, who are having a tough season, might retool on the fly, whereas the Islanders, by getting Wennberg, can continue their playoff push and hope to go deep.
Adam Henrique
Adam Henrique is another forward that has sparked the interest of numerous NHL teams. He is 34 years old, but he has a lot going for him, making him a valuable player to acquire. He is producing at a high level for the Anaheim Ducks, who average only 2.64 goals per game. His expertise is also beneficial because he is an experienced skater who a team can add knowing he can score in the playoffs.
He’s a UFA after the season, and with the Ducks in the midst of a rebuild, selling him for a prospect appears to be the best option for the team. With this in mind, the price tag will most likely be a prospect who can join the NHL squad soon, and the Islanders have two players available in a trade, with winger Ruslan Iskhakov and defenseman Robin Salo both ready. The two prospects have performed well for the Bridgeport Islanders, but they lack a path to the NHL squad and may be moved as a result. Oliver Wahlstrom, like Henrique, can be traded for a rental.
A trade would reunite Henrique with Lamoriello, the general manager who selected him in the third round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Lamoriello has a history of collecting players from prior teams, so the reunion would not be out of character. He acquired Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri from the New Jersey Devils on the 2021 Trade Deadline. Henrique was an important component of the Devils’ 2012 playoff success, scoring five goals and eight assists, including three game-winning goals, the most notable being the Game 6 overtime winner in the Eastern Conference Final that advanced the team to the Stanley Cup Final.
Henrique was 21 during that playoff run and a more explosive forward than he is now. However, he is still capable of being an important member of a team aiming to make a deep postseason run. He’d center one of the Islanders’ middle six lines, adding much-needed scoring to the offense. Henrique also brings versatility to the squad by being able to generate scoring opportunities as well as score himself. While he has lost a step and will not outperform opponents in terms of speed, he remains the ideal trade deadline acquisition for the Islanders.
Joel Armia
Joel Armia is 30 years old and will become a free agent following the 2024-25 season. It makes him an excellent player for the Montreal Canadiens to trade at the trade deadline, since he may fetch a high return. They are in the last stages of their rebuild and want to compete by next season. However, because this season has been difficult, they will attempt to trade some players for more prospects to bolster the team’s younger players.
Making a move for Armia would allow the Islanders to add a scoring presence on the wings. He’s scored 11 goals this season, which is something just six Islanders skaters have done. It goes without saying that this club requires a goal scorer in the middle of its attacking line.
Armia would be an excellent skater to complement Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who has regressed as a scorer but remains a competent playmaker in the center position. Lamoriello would most likely trade a prospect for him, maybe including Julien Gauthier or Wahlstrom, to persuade the Canadiens to let him go. He is not a veteran that many teams are looking for, but Armia would be an excellent addition to an Islanders squad in need of depth scoring.
Anthony Duclair
The San Jose Sharks acquired Anthony Duclair this offseason in the hopes that he would help the team contend this season while also significantly improving their attack that averaged only 2.84 goals per game. Fast forward to the trade deadline, and the club not only looks poorer, but the offense has been ineffective, scoring only 2.13 goals per game. This team is still rebuilding, and moving Duclair appears to be a necessary move by the front management to prevent losing the pending UFA for nothing.
Lamoriello can take advantage by purchasing Duclair for a reasonable price, possibly a middle-round draft pick. Even on one of the league’s poorest teams, he has excelled, scoring 14 goals in 55 games. He’d be a consistent scorer on the wing in the center of the forward line, helping the Islanders make a long playoff run, as he did for the Florida Panthers last season. He had four goals and seven assists in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs to help the Panthers reach the Cup Final, and he’d also offer a spark to the Islanders’ offensive line.
Other forwards The islanders can target.
Jack Roslovic will be an intriguing player to keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches. He is a UFA at the end of the season, but at 27 years old, he is one of the younger players who will be available for trade. The question is if the Columbus Blue Jackets want to move him, especially with interim GM John Davidson in control right now.
If the Blue Jackets are willing to make a small trade with their Metropolitan Division foe, the Islanders would be an ideal fit for Roslovic. He’s a versatile center who can play on the third line while consistently contributing 10 goals and 20 assists to the offensive unit. For a playoff push, he’s the type of center the Islanders want because he’ll improve the third-line skating while also bringing scoring to the attack.
The Buffalo Sabres will also be an interesting team to watch at the trade deadline, since they appear to be sellers despite starting the season with playoff hopes. They may attempt to trade pending UFA Kyle Okposo, who, at 35, is still finding the back of the net and helping to the offensive. The Islanders would welcome a reunion with Okposo, who has 12 goals and 10 assists this season and can deliver a heavy hit when needed. In many respects, he’s the ideal fourth-line skater.
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