Now that the dust has settled on a great 2020 Stanley Cup Playoff run by the New York Islanders, it’s time to look at will get them to the Final next season. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and Brock Boeser’s name is rumored to be traded early. Check out the Nassaumen Hockey Podcast, hosted by The Hockey Writers authors James Nichols and Jon Zella. It might intrigue Bowman to take on a few rookie contracts that can slot into the NHL lineup to give the team some breathing room to get the Kane and Toews contracts off the books. Only one team has worse offensive numbers but have faired better than the Isles and that’s the Dallas Stars. However, the Red Wings have been in “rebuilding mode” for several years now, and it doesn’t look like they’re coming out of it any time soon. The Vancouver Canucks have some work to do this offseason, with a plethora of unrestricted free agents hitting the market and restricted free agents to re-sign. A bonafide goal-scorer is the biggest need to boost the team’s goals for per game and a power play that has come up empty too many times. The acquisition certainly wouldn’t be cheap, and if you thought he would come cheaper with one year left on his contract, guess again. As stated earlier, Aho can step into the NHL with good value on the blue line. Therefore, the trade market might be the only way to address the team’s need for a pure goal-scorer. The Finnish sniper is at the top of TSN’s trade bait list, as the Winnipeg Jets have many scoring wingers and need help on the blue line. Anthony Mantha is a two-time 20-goal scorer, with 24 goals in 2017-18 and 25 in 2018-19. If Trotz could mentor and improve Ovechkin’s game, there’s no reason why he couldn’t do the same with a 22-year-old sniper in Laine.

Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! The issue with him is that he’s only ever scored 30 goals once and never came close to a 30 goal season before or after. The Flames gave up a little over three goals a game, averaging 3.06 in 70 games during the 2019-20 season. Mantha could benefit from a change of scenery on Long Island, and from a complete change in structure playing in Trotz’s system. NHL Rumors: Red Wings, Blackhawks, Islanders, Jets, More, Likeliest Canadiens Call-Ups to Be First in Line in Case of Injury, OHL Facing Tough Decisions With American-Based Teams, The Sharks And Halloween Night Games: A Spooky Combination, Winnipeg Jets’ 2020-21 Top Prospects: #11-20, Avalanche Look Like Early Winners of the Barrie/Kadri Trade, Senators News & Rumours: Brown, Daccord, Beaudin & More, Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Mikheyev, Recent Signings & Proactive Play, Devon Toews, Thomas Hicky, Oliver Wahlstrom, 2021 First Round Draft Pick, Nick Leddy, Kieffer Bellows, 2021 First Round Draft Pick, Johnny Boychuk, Oliver Wahlstrom, Sebastian Aho, 2021 First Round Pick, Nick Leddy, Oliver Wahlstrom, Sebastian Aho, 2021 First Round Draft Pick, Oliver Wahlstrom, Sebastian Aho, Bode Wilde, 2021 Third Round Pick. In three full seasons, Boeser eclipsed the 25-goal plateau twice.

Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! However, the real prize here is adding Wahlstrom, who can provide an NHL-ready shot at just 20 years old. Like the trade market. All rights reserved. All three are noted in the Athletic’s 22 man trade bait board (subscription required) and/or TSN’s trade bait board. Boeser could be the odd man out by default, and Lamoriello should make him priority number two after bringing back his key RFAs.

The acquisition certainly wouldn’t be cheap, and if you thought he would come cheaper with one year left on his contract, guess again. For as long as Islanders fans can remember, the team has hoarded draft picks, drafted within the top 5 and made some unfortunate misses. The Finnish sniper is at the top of TSN’s trade bait list, as the Winnipeg Jets have many scoring wingers and need help on the blue line. With a flat cap, three important RFAs to re-sign, and with only $8.905 million in projected cap space, finding improvements will be difficult. If the Islanders are going to take a risk on a player wouldn’t it be wiser to just use one of the players in our system who will cost less than a third of Athanasiou’s cap hit? With expected salary dumps coming for the Islanders, Lamoriello will have to find a way to free up money to sign Mantha, while Red Wings general manager, Steve Yzerman, has plenty of cap space to work with to lock up Toews. Not to mention, the Blackhawks could use some youth as they’re not yet a playoff contender but also not quite rebuilding either. It’s no secret that although the Islanders are great at keeping the puck out of their own net, they have a hard time … Not to mention, the Blackhawks could use some youth as they’re not yet a playoff contender but also not quite rebuilding either. Gaudreau will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2021-22 season, so the Islanders would have two seasons of control at a reasonable $6,750,000 AVV. eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'thehockeywriters_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_0',667,'0','0']));The Calgary Flames had another short-lived postseason run, and it seems that big changes are ahead for the “C of Red.” Johnny Gaudreau is a big name that could move on from the Flames, as general manager Brad Treliving will be looking to shake up the culture of the locker room.

Specifically, they need someone who can step into the top-six and put up 25+ goals a season. For many years, the New York Islanders … They are a piece or two away from eclipsing the Eastern Conference Final and reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

His affordable contract (at $6 million AVV until 2024-25) would make it easy for Lamoriello to swap a defender for him though that’s easier said than done. It seems that after 13 games with two points, the Oilers just realized they don’t have the money to keep him around. New York Islanders news from FanSided Daily, Islanders: Play-in Series Guide to the Florida Panthers, Islanders "who says no" trade: Five player deal with Maple Leafs, Jerry Jeudy Taken by Jaguars in B/R User 2020 NFL Mock Draft, Islanders: Andrew Ladd Gets A Shot With Nelson and Bailey, Islanders will have plenty of options for Seattle Kraken's expansion draft, Islanders: NHL Writer Ranks Barry Trotz 15th Best Coach, Top 25 Super Bowl Performances of All Time, Each NHL Team's Most Likely Future Hall of Famer, 30 Greatest Teams in Premier League History, 28 most memorable buzzer beaters in March Madness history. Boeser could be the odd man out by default, and Lamoriello should make him priority number two after bringing back his key RFAs. With 242 goals scored since Barry Trotz took over, the Isles rank 25th for offense generated in the league. Share on Facebook. Some of that is due to their shaky goaltending situation, but they will also need help on their blue line, and some veteran leadership.

Kubalík is an interesting option for Lamoriello to go after, as the 25-year-old winger scored 30 goals in his rookie campaign and received some nominations for the Calder Trophy. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. There are plenty of offensive free-agent targets that might be intriguing to general manager, Lou Lamoriello, however, their $8,905,833 in cap space, plus whatever is coming off the books, might only give them enough room to re-sign their restricted free agents Mathew Barzal, Ryan Pulock, and Devon Toews. Laine makes for a perfect trade target; he fits the Islanders’ needs, and they have something to offer in return. Your privacy is safe with us. Any of these scorers would be a welcomed addition to the club and are a necessary addition to take the next step. Follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts! The New York Post’s Larry Brooks lists a number of players Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, who he notes always believes in the present, could target before the Feb. 25 Trade Deadline. They bring equal pedigree at their position and fill a need on each side. The former Calder Trophy runner up would slot in perfectly next to “the kid who won the Calder” that same year. Nikolaj Ehlers has also heard his name churning on the rumor mill. There aren’t any Panarin’s available in the free agency market, I don’t think Taylor Hall is at the same level, although he’s pretty close. A bonafide goal-scorer is the biggest need to boost the team’s goals for per game and a power play that has come up empty too many times. Leddy’s contract gives the Canucks a little more room to play with, while Wahlstrom comes in on a rookie contract and restricted free agent, Sebastian Aho can be re-signed cheap and appears ready to play NHL minutes; however, he has played limited time at the top level. The Islanders Should Target These 6 Free Agents. It’s time to part with the picks as the Isles have an opportunity to win now. Powered by Minute Media © 2020 All Rights Reserved. Gaudreau has been making highlight-reel plays for the Flames since his sophomore campaign in the 2014-15 season. Brock Boeser, Johnny Gaudreau, New York Islanders, Nikolaj Ehlers, Patrik Laine. Want more Islanders content? But Now It’s a Job. Additionally, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes have one year remaining on their entry-level contracts, and they’re going to want to lock up both superstars long-term sooner rather than later. Those three players are considered part of the team’s core moving forward and should be Lamoriello’s priority. By James Nichols September 24th, 2020. Share on LinkedIn. Any of these scorers would be a welcomed addition to the club and are a necessary addition to take the next step. However, the Red Wings have been in “rebuilding mode” for several years now, and it doesn’t look like they’re coming out of it any time soon. Going into 2020-21 the Islanders need goalscoring badly. And even if there was a Panarim-type available, the Islanders don’t have enough space to make a big signing. Any of these scorers would be a welcomed addition to the club and are a necessary addition to take the next step. For as long as Islanders fans can remember, the team has hoarded draft picks, drafted within the top 5 and made some unfortunate misses. But as rookies, it may be too much to expect either Bellows or Wahlstrom to step into an established top-six and put up that type of performance. Kubalík is an interesting option for Lamoriello to go after, as the 25-year-old winger scored 30 goals in his rookie campaign and received some nominations for the Calder Trophy. The Vancouver Canucks have some work to do this offseason, with a plethora of unrestricted free agents hitting the market and restricted free agents to re-sign. It’s no secret that although the Islanders are great at keeping the puck out of their own net, they have a hard time scoring goals.