Silence doesn’t equate to inactivity.
So even as Wednesday passed without news coming from the Islanders as the NHL trade deadline approaches on Friday, there was still plenty to talk about.
All indications are that president/general manager Lou Lamoriello has fielded calls from other teams with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri pending unrestricted free agents and potential fits for several playoff contenders. Nelson has confirmed his camp has engaged with Lamoriello on contract extension discussions.
And Lamoriello no doubt has held discussions with other Islanders executives and, presumably, coach Patrick Roy, on the pros and cons of selling, buying or keeping the status quo. Weighing on Lamoriello’s competitive consciousness was the Islanders sitting three points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot before the Rangers faced the Capitals on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Islanders, while a long shot to make a playoff run, surely aren’t eliminated and Lamoriello is loath to ever give up on a season. He could well view Nelson and/or Palmieri as the best two trade self-rentals for his team.
As an umbrella over all of that, Lamoriello et al. must also surely be having the discussion as to what the team would look like post-trade deadline if the Islanders do choose to sell.
And can they sell and still compete for a playoff spot?
The players surely hoped that Tuesday night’s 3-2 win over the NHL-leading Jets at UBS Arena was enough to convince Lamoriello the Islanders can still be a viable playoff contender.
The problem, of course, is the Islanders, at 28-26-7, have spent all season playing inconsistent hockey. Tuesday’s win followed Monday night’s 4-0 loss to the Rangers at the Garden, a second regulation loss to their rivals in seven days. The Islanders have won three of four. But they’ve also lost five of eight.
Remarkably, considering their 16 overtime losses last season were tied for the most in the NHL, the Islanders’ last 16 defeats have all come in regulation. Get just four of those games to overtime and the Islanders would have been in a playoff spot on Wednesday.
“I thought we’ve battled all year,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said when asked whether the team has shown enough to Lamoriello to deserve a chance to keep the group together for a playoff run.
“We’ve been through some stuff throughout the year with different injuries and different things. We’re not in a position in the standings where we want to be. But I think the belief is in this locker room that we can still get on a roll here and find ourselves in the playoffs. I think if we can get healthy and get into the playoffs, I love our team. I love going up against anybody.”
Same question to captain Anders Lee.
“You know what? I hope so,” Lee said. “Our biggest problem is just a little bit of that inconsistency but we’ve played some good hockey and, at times, haven’t gotten the results from that. But when we’re playing good hockey and getting the results, it’s a great combination and I think we can show that as much as we can.”
Still, everybody but Lamoriello has seemingly decided that the Islanders’ best and only course is to trade, at the very least, Nelson and Palmieri rather than risk losing both for no return via free agency. It’s been a seller’s market and the Islanders could walk away with multiple first-round picks coming back. For an organization low on high-end prospects, that’s very valuable for the future.
Sans those two top-six forwards, could the Islanders still compete this season? What would the lineup look like?
First off, don’t be surprised to see Lamoriello seek NHL-ready forwards in return to help the lineup now, especially since top-liner Mathew Barzal (lower body/long-term injured reserve) is not close to a return and, with just 21 games remaining, can’t be counted upon to make an impact.
Bigger roles would evolve for Simon Holmstrom and Maxim Tsyplakov. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, if not traded, would likely center the second line. Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall would face a lot of pressure to provide much more than they have.
Lamoriello could also use his surplus of defensemen to acquire a forward or two.
Also necessary if the Islanders have designs on competing is a backup goalie Roy can trust. Ilya Sorokin has started 31 of 37 games with Marcus Hogberg (upper body/injured reserve) and Semyon Varlamov (lower body/LTIR) out and Jakub Skarek having made just one NHL start.
The Islanders were silent on Wednesday. That doesn’t mean they were quiet.
