Roster/Rumors/Speculation/Trade Talk - 2024-25: Re-Tool, Re-Group, Re-Mix, Re-Build

[doublechili]

Just food for thought:

Everyone wants EP40 from Van, but let's look at him and this situation a little deeper.

• He's making $11.6 for the next 7 years.
• He's had problems with Miller
• From what I thought, he had problems or Hovart had problems with him.
• His GM just made a statement in the press that EP needs to grow up and mature. That he can't have everthing his way.

To me, I'm not sure if I'm going to trade for a spoiled brat. Especially when the package is going to be a huge one.

I have a vague recollection that Pettersson and Horvat were tight.

 

[leeroggy]

So basically Dobson for a mid-late 1st, overhyped prospect and whatever fluff the remainder would be (a mediocre prospect/overrated bottom 6 player)? Yeah, not going to work. This draft isn’t deep enough after the top 4 where the pick is worthwhile and Mailloux doesn’t move the needle. Upgrade the prospect to a high end forward instead of defenseman and we can start there. Dobson eventhough on a down year still has major value. The offer sent was basically what a 30 year old top 6 UFA with a sign and trade type of deal has been going for.

Maybe if he added Ryder, Halak and a 2nd ti the 1st and Maillouix
And the rights to Jean Beliveau

 

[Glorydays22]

I have a vague recollection that Pettersson and Horvat were tight.

you could be right, but why did Horvat want out of Van then? Was it just the contract issue? Remember they gave EP40 his contract After Horvat was traded.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

I have a vague recollection that Pettersson and Horvat were tight.

you could be right, but why did Horvat want out of Van then? Was it just the contract issue? Remember they gave EP40 his contract After Horvat was traded.

I think Miller and Horvat were butting heads. I also don’t think Horvat wanted out, he wanted to get paid for the incredible season he was having.

 

[xECK29x]

I have a vague recollection that Pettersson and Horvat were tight.

The room was split between Horvat and Miller, per a few Canucks fan friends.

 

[miscs75]

Maybe if he added Ryder, Halak and a 2nd ti the 1st and Maillouix
And the rights to Jean Beliveau

I want the Habs to trade us Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov back for that sulking bum Kirk Muller instead of the 1st and Maillouix. Pierre never deserved that fate.

 

[MJF]

I want the Habs to trade us Pierre Turgeon and Vladimir Malakhov back for that sulking bum Kirk Muller instead of the 1st and Maillouix. Pierre never deserved that fate.

Don Maloney remains an idiot.

 

[miscs75]

Don Maloney remains an idiot.

Former Ranger tries to sabotage the cross town rivals, an age old tale.

In more present time regarding this trade offer. If they want Dobson, I want Demidov unless we know for certain the 1st will be top 4 this year.

 

[Chockey22]

I don't want to move Brazal right now. I understand we are possibly talking about EP but he looks bad now as well. I think any deal of that type of magnitude would need to be discuss in the offseason with hopefully a new GM and Coach to see what direction they want to go in.

The main thing we have to do NOW is move Nelson and Parms. Can not, I mean, I can't stress this enough. We can not lose these guys for nothing or pennies on the dollar.

What we have to understand, we don't have many pieces to move that will garner a good return. So it's so important we move these guys now before the value goes down.

I don't think Brazal, Dobson, Sorokin, Horvat, Romanov, Holmstrom and Pulock are going anywhere for the time being.

There's a reason, several reasons actually, that the Canucks are thinking of moving EP - and I am not sure the Isles should want to take on that mess if it means moving out major pieces for him. To all the guys who complain about Engvall's lack of physicality and drive, EP is very similar. He's Engvall with much more skill.

Just food for thought:

Everyone wants EP40 from Van, but let's look at him and this situation a little deeper.

• He's making $11.6 for the next 7 years.
• He's had problems with Miller
• From what I thought, he had problems or Hovart had problems with him.
• His GM just made a statement in the press that EP needs to grow up and mature. That he can't have everthing his way.

To me, I'm not sure if I'm going to trade for a spoiled brat. Especially when the package is going to be a huge one.

 

[impaaaaaact]

Shesterkin to IR. Hagens to NYR.

 

[SI]

Here is my next Blog Post - enjoy the READ - One on Pageau and Lee are next.

Top 5 Landing Spots for Kyle Palmieri: Boston, Dallas, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Washington

Kyle Palmieri could be the most sought-after winger at this year's trade deadline. Teams like Boston, Dallas, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, and Washington are shaping up as potential contenders for his services.

For teams like New Jersey, Washington, and Dallas, Palmieri could bolster secondary scoring and serve as a potential final piece to help push them over the edge. Meanwhile, contenders like Tampa Bay and Boston might see him as a valuable addition, bringing scoring punch, grit, and veteran leadership to support their playoff runs. At 33 years old, the right winger still has plenty to offer and could be a desirable asset now and beyond this season.

Boston Bruins
The Bruins are an obvious candidate, but the asking price for Palmieri would likely start with a 2025 first-round pick. Boston might balk at such a price and could instead offer a package including a 2026 second-round pick and prospect Matthew Poitras. Poitras, a center, impressed as a 19-year-old playing almost 40 games in the NHL last year. This season, at 20, he has been producing at a point-per-game pace in the AHL, though he has yet to carve out a regular role at the NHL level.

Acquiring Palmieri would allow Boston to move Charlie Coyle back to center, strengthening their depth down the middle. Additionally, Palmieri might find Boston a desirable destination for signing his next contract, given the team's competitive culture and the city’s appeal. On the Islanders’ side, acquiring Poitras could offer versatility—allowing them to keep Jean-Gabriel Pageau on the right wing or potentially move on from him altogether.

Dallas Stars
Dallas could go all-in by adding a defenseman -which is their priority- and a forward. However, they might not have the assets to acquire both of their top trade targets: RHD Rasmus Andersson and center Brock Nelson. If Dallas uses key assets to acquire Andersson, they may pivot to Palmieri as their forward addition, essentially keeping Wyatt Johnston at C.

Dallas does not have a second-round pick in 2025, so the best they could offer in terms of draft picks would be a 2026 second. However, Lou Lamoriello might ask for one of Lian Bischel or Mavrik Bourque, one of whom would likely be involved in a deal for Rasmus Andersson. If that is not on the table, then perhaps Emil Hemming, a bottom-six RW prospect from Sweden, and Boston College (BC) sophomore Aram Minnetian (RHD), a 5’11”, 200-pound tough and quick defenseman who is Hagen’s teammate on Team USA and at BC, could be included. A package of Hemming and the 2026 second (or a prospect like Aram) could be a decent (not great) return for Palmieri. Hoping the Islanders would do better than that.

New Jersey Devils
How about a return to New Jersey? The 2021 first-round pick the Islanders gave up to acquire Palmieri, Chase Stillman, has not met expectations, recording only four points this season in the AHL. How about Seamus Casey? YES, please. Sean Casey, however, is an intriguing prospect. Casey has been on an upward trajectory and could become an exciting young piece on the backend. Given how well Lane Hutson has performed with Montreal, Casey might also find similar or even greater success. Casey already has three goals in 10 NHL games with the Devils this season.

Another potential piece coming back could be Paul Cotter, a player who could complement a new-look "Identity Line" with his style of play. Cotter is big, physical, and plays a reliable two-way game, logging over 13 minutes per game in the NHL. He also has another year remaining on his contract at a league-minimum $775K cap hit. If Casey is untouchable, New Jersey holds three second-round picks in 2025. Would two high second-rounders suffice for Palmieri’s return?

Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay could offer Isaac Howard (LW) and a 2025 second-round pick. Howard is having a strong season at Michigan State, producing over a point per game. He is an exciting prospect who may need another season in the NCAA or AHL before making an NHL impact. Howard is a skilled player with a high ceiling and a strong shot, making him a valuable asset. He would immediately rank among the Islanders' top five prospects and could slot into Bridgeport’s top-six forwards.

Tampa also has two second-round picks in 2025 and no first-round pick but could afford to trade the additional second-rounder along with Howard for Palmieri at 50% retention. Tampa could likely re-sign Palmieri and benefit from his veteran presence as a right-shot winger for their top six, adding depth behind Point, Guentzel, and Kucherov while allowing Geekie to continue developing.

Washington Capitals
The Capitals boast one of the NHL’s top 10 prospect pools, with players like Leonard, Miroshnichenko, Cristall, Hutson, Parascak, Protas, Iorio, Chesley, Lapierre, and Muggli. Their top five prospects are highly desirable, but it’s unlikely any of them would be available for Palmieri or even Nelson. While Washington does not urgently need scoring help this season, they could use depth and players built for postseason success. Palmieri could fit nicely on their second scoring line, pushing the older Protas to a line with Mangiapane and Lars Eller.

Washington’s 2025 first-round pick (likely in the high 20s) could be a fair price for Palmieri. Alternatively, if the first-round pick is used to address other needs, a package including Vincent Iorio (RHD) and a 2025 second-round pick might work. Iorio is a promising defenseman with size and skating ability who could eventually replace Mayfield or Pulock.

Another way to expand the deal could involve addressing Washington’s goaltending concerns. If Varlamov returns healthy in January and is willing to waive the NTC, the Islanders could offer Palmieri (50% retained) and Varlamov for Washington’s 2025 first-round pick, Iorio, and a 2025 second-round pick. The Islanders might need to take back Ethan Bear’s salary to make the deal work, but Washington would gain goaltending depth and a proven playoff performer in Palmieri. Washington could also be an appealing offseason destination for Palmieri.

 

[xECK29x]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6030246/2024/12/31/islanders-maple-leafs-nhl-trade-deadline/?source=user_shared_article

Great piece by Staple here

 

[seafoam]

I am watching COL/WIN and NYI is nowhere near either of these two teams. Maybe Lou needs to watch a few out of market games to get a better read on how shite his team is.

 

[Sparksrus3]

Our favorite team is 14 wins 24 losses on a pace for 75 points.

32 days until pitchers and catchers…LGI

 

[Isles72]

you could be right, but why did Horvat want out of Van then? Was it just the contract issue? Remember they gave EP40 his contract After Horvat was traded.

I think vancouver had to decide who gets the 8-9 mil long term deal , Horvat or Miller because they couldnt afford both making that much . The rest is history

 

[beach]

But this idea of just completely throwing everything away and starting new especially when you are including names such as Sorokin in there to me sounds batshit crazy. There are so many unknowns when doing a rebuild that you have equal chance of just making things worse. Every time you add or subtract a player on the roster (especially an unproven one) it introduces an unknown as much as you may have planned things out. You just never know.

There's no magic crystal ball here. The smartest thing to do is to go with what you know and build from there. "His numbers are what they are" What does that mean in regards to Sorokin. You have to look past numbers which in many cases are just as much a reflection of the team's performance as they are of his own. Sorokin has more often than not given this team a chance to win if it weren't for dumb plays made by the players in front of him. More often than not a goal scored on Sorokin is a result of a poor decision made by one of his defenseman other something he had done himself. Soft goals are not often equated with Sorokin's play.

The point being is this team is in better position to retool rather than rebuild where the team is deconstructed to its core and rebuilt from scratch. You go with what you know to be true about your roster, keep core pieces intact, retrain areas that are lacking, trim some of the older players for fresher legs but again, go with what you know and build from there. I agree you add key pieces at the appropriate time. You don't just shake the basket and hope something good will fall out and that's exactly what you do when you trade known but struggling players such as Nelson or Palmieri for players of lesser or only potential talent because thats what you are going to get for such players. Sometimes its just best to hold on to what little talent you have and build from the draft directly. Either those players regain their form like Anders Lee did this year or they suck and we remain in last place and that gets us in a higher draft position as well. But again if those players can give you needed components of a winning team like speed or aggressive hitters you can trade for players like that. Just don't expect to get a player 10 years younger than Nelson who can regularly put the puck in the net 30X a year.

If they trade Nelson, the focus should be on a first rounder and a prospect. That's what rebuilding is...

 

[Isles72]

I am watching COL/WIN and NYI is nowhere near either of these two teams. Maybe Lou needs to watch a few out of market games to get a better read on how shite his team is.

you can still love the isles and accept them for what they are and enjoy good hockey at the same time elsewhere . A lot of options out there with 31 other teams - heck , I've been watching the Sharks and Ducks enjoying their young teams starting to gel

 

[periferal]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6030246/2024/12/31/islanders-maple-leafs-nhl-trade-deadline/?source=user_shared_article

Great piece by Staple here

Heck yeah that's a great piece - The most direct, insightful, and really honest article I've read about the current state of the Islanders I've seen yet. However it's also scary because it suggests that Lou might just think things should continue on as they have.

Here are the key points...


"The Islanders closed out 2024 on Tuesday afternoon with plenty of effort but no results. The 3-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs — with associate coach Lambert looking on from the Toronto bench — dropped the current season to 14-17-7, as bad a record as the Islanders have had entering the midseason new year as in the bad old days of the early 2010s.

Lamoriello may try to pull another rabbit out of his hat this January, but if the past two seasons are any indication, it’s time to start making plans to sell. That’s not a word in Lamoriello’s vocabulary but watching this team lose six of the last nine games and give up at least three goals in all of them, the Isles president and GM would be the last to know what’s coming.

It’s a reckoning. Whether it’s Lamoriello calling the shots or someone else who owner Scott Malkin deems Lamoriello’s successor, this Isles group has run its course. It’s a good group of good players at its core, many of whom played key roles in the delightful run from 2018-21, but it is so very over.

Teams that are likely to have interest in buying at the March 7 deadline have heard Lamoriello isn’t interested in selling. Lamoriello has said often that his team dictates what he’ll do at the deadline; his team is sending a neon message to him now.

It would be nearly impossible to find takers for any of the Isles’ over-30 defensemen in-season but there have to be conversations on that front in the offseason. Adam Pelech would be the most likely to find a taker but it will require some creativity and a strong desire to remake the roster, which the Isles very much have to do. They have had three coaches in the last three-plus seasons and the only direction things have gone is down, with a few highs sprinkled in.

That tells you the time has come. If Lamoriello can’t see it or won’t see it, Malkin must find someone who will. This isn’t a teardown, there’s no need to tank and try to win the draft lottery — the way this season is headed they’ll have more than a few ping-pong balls without any changes being made. But change they must.

A coach with the 32nd-ranked PP and PK shouldn’t feel too secure, either.

So everything should be on the table. It’s been a fun ride with this group, with Lamoriello defying the league’s perception of the Islanders for a few enjoyable years. But those are gone now.

It’s over. Time for the Islanders to act like it heading into a crucial trade deadline and offseason."

 

[The Real JT]

Our favorite team is 14 wins 24 losses on a pace for 75 points.

32 days until pitchers and catchers…LGI

I can’t think about baseball until my favorite football team (NYJ) wins their last game to worsen their draft position.

 

[The Real JT]

If they trade Nelson, the focus should be on a first rounder and a prospect. That's what rebuilding is...

I agree that is fair value for him but there are several factors that should temper your expectations.

1. How many teams are buyer and sellers?
2. NMC player preferences
3. Continued goal drought approaching the TDL
4. Potential injury, even short term

 

[seafoam]

Trade Nelson and Palmieri at the deadline.

Trade Pelech and Pageau in the offseason.

Explore blockbusters but only if it makes sense for Barzal/Dobson/Sorokin.

 

[MJF]

Does anyone know if Nelson’s 15 game goalless streak is his career worst?

 

[MikeyMike01]

Just food for thought:

Everyone wants EP40 from Van, but let's look at him and this situation a little deeper.

• He's making $11.6 for the next 7 years.
• He's had problems with Miller
• From what I thought, he had problems or Hovart had problems with him.
• His GM just made a statement in the press that EP needs to grow up and mature. That he can't have everthing his way.

To me, I'm not sure if I'm going to trade for a spoiled brat. Especially when the package is going to be a huge one.

Anyone on the trade market has an issue. That’s why they’re on the market.

 

[teknics]

To make matters worse?

We can’t watch the team if we wanted to currently due to the dispute between Altice-Cablevision and MSG.

I didn’t see a thread on this so commenting here.

——-

An aside, I’ve been watching this team religiously and have, as known to some of you - been active in that past with blogs/podcasts and had a press pass for a decade.

This is honestly the least interested in hockey I’ve been in a long time.

Staple hit the nail on the head too.

 

[LeapOnOver]

We can also win the Presidents Trophy and fail spectacularly in the first round as the Bruins and Lightning did in the not so distant past. The mantra has always been just make it into the playoffs and its a whole new season where anything can happen. I still believe in this. For sure the older the Isles get the lesser and lesser the chances are that they will do much damage in the playoffs but if the stars align anything can happen. Any chances of us winning the Cup in the next 10 years is at its best now. It was better 5 years ago but again the chances were slim. We can go with the present roster and fail spectacularly in the regular season as well which does not get us any farther from any rebuild anyway. I just don't think this fanbase is ready to handle another protracted rebuild. We have a few pieces of the puzzle on the team already and a critical one playing for BU right now. Someone suggested trading Sorokin which I think is just bat shit crazy. Torrey would tell you you build a team from the goaltender out. We have a world class goaltender still well in his prime. You don't trade him. If a trade for Nelson or Palmieri or Cizikas improves this team for the very near future I say go for it. Otherwise stay the course and let the chips fall where they may.

I used to believe in that, and my post history will back that up. But no way will I go on record with the outrageous claim that something so integral, yet so inept, will be a-okay sneaking into the playoffs.

Frankly it's an antiquated way of looking at it. Last year it costs us about 20 points. This year, shaping up the same way. I'm amazed at how disciplined Burke and Goring are at biting their tongue. Jaffe would not be so kind. It's a joke. A cruel, unacceptable joke.