The New York Islanders‘ seven-game road trip continues along into its second and final week, with just one game left on Wednesday night in Seattle.
The trip featured a good amount of shaky play, with some stretches showcasing the Islanders at their best and others revealing just where their flaws lie.
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Still, they’ve gone 3-2-1 and boast a pair of impressive wins over the Edmonton Oilers and Minnesota Wild. With just Wednesday night against Lane Lambert’s Seattle Kraken remaining, a quick evaluation of the road trip would be a success, especially if they can head home with another two points.
The Islanders have held onto second place in the Metropolitan Division for the duration of their time away. Heading into the trip, the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals were the closest divisional foes to catching them.
The Flyers have gone 1-5-1 since the trip began. The Capitals didn’t fare any better, going 2-4-0. The Pittsburgh Penguins took advantage and have flown into second place with a 3-2-2 record during this time.
The Islanders find themselves five points ahead of the Flyers and Capitals, and two points ahead of the Penguins (who are in third). To call it a safe position would be slightly overstating it, but New York’s in a great spot.
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All of this preamble brings us to the meat and potatoes of the quandary Islanders’ General Manager Mathieu Darche finds himself in.
During the trip, the Islanders also found themselves linked to both Rasmus Andersson and Kiefer Sherwood, with both ultimately getting dealt elsewhere.
Both went for premium prices (Andersson a 1st, 2nd, and roster player, Sherwood two 2nds), showcasing just how expensive the trade market is for buyers right now.
While that could very well change as more teams tumble off the playoff radar, as of now, there are only a handful of clear sellers, and one of them will not make any trades with you (New York Rangers).
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All of this puts Darche in a bind. He knows the team needs a lift both defensively and offensively. The organizational hope defensively seems to be giving Isaiah George a look when the team returns home.
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Offensively, any help would need to come from outside the organization. Some looked to Steven Stamkos as a clear target, but Nashville’s been on fire and now seems unlikely to sell.
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Using The Athletic’s Trade Board, here’s the top forwards available: Artemi Panarin, Nazem Kadri, Vincent Trocheck, Elias Pettersson, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Blake Coleman, Stamkos, and Andrew Mangiapane.
Of those top eight, three of them reside in the Metropolitan Division, making things a no-go. Nazem Kadri has nine goals in 49 games this season, but he’s shooting a career-low 6.5% and is one year removed from a 35-goal season.
Kadri, 35, has three more years at $7 million, and if acquired, could become an in-house Jean-Gabriel Pageau replacement if the Islanders don’t re-up with Pageau.
But it really doesn’t make any sense to give the assets Calgary would want. At 35 years of age, he doesn’t fit the opening window of contention. Ditto that for Stamkos, though the argument for Stamkos is his generational shot.
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Kotkaniemi and Mangiapane are both salary dumps and would not make the Islanders any better. The Rangers won’t trade Panarin and Trocheck to the Islanders, with the Islanders forking over an enormous haul, killing any deal in its crib.
That leave two names. Elias Pettersson and Blake Coleman.
Pettersson would make a lot of sense, but comes with the recent baggage of a serious downturn in play and a giant contract. A deal in-season feels improbable. Coleman would be solely to improve the bottom six, and wouldn’t cost all too much.
Coleman, like Stamkos, won two Stanley Cups with Darche in Tampa Bay. It’s worth keeping an eye on.
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With all that being said, is it the worst thing in the world if the Islanders have a quiet trade deadline?
The only type of deals that make any sense would be for cheap rentals (like Coleman) or a player like Pettersson or Jordan Kyrou, forwards who would make the Islanders better now and in the future.
The 2026 Draft is seen with immense value, and the Islanders hold two first-round picks. They don’t have any second-round picks, thanks to the Josh Bailey salary dump three years ago.
The prospect pool continues to strengthen. Bridgeport’s in a position to fight for a playoff spot.
For Darche, it has to be about building things right. Dismantling the newly-built prospect pool and draft pick assets does not make sense.
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Similarly, Darche is faced with decisions on Anders Lee and Pageau, both of whom will become free agents in July.
There’s no world where the Islanders trade their captain in-season, especially while in a playoff position. Pageau, however, would command a haul. The ability to acquire another first-round pick and potentially recoup a second-rounder in this draft would be immensely valuable.
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But, again, Pageau’s a massive part of this team. Does trading him make any sense when the team’s cruising in a playoff spot? Likely not.
It’s worth noting that Brock Nelson spent virtually the entire 2024-25 season stapled to the top of The Athletic’s Trade Board, usually a darn good indicator of a player set to be dealt.
Pageau hasn’t appeared on the list at all this season, while Lee only appeared at the very beginning of the season before getting removed.
All this begins to paint a picture of what could be a very quiet deadline.
Smaller moves, depth pieces, little swings. Those make sense. If Darche can pull off an in-season blockbuster that makes sense for this team’s competitive window, he’ll do it. Odds aren’t in his favor, historically.
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As the march toward the Olympic Roster Freeze continues, more trades will happen, and more players will become available. Perhaps more viable candidates appear, and the feeling of a relatively quiet deadline fades.
For now, the quiet path is the best one forward. There’s no need to rush anything.
