The Islanders aren’t done dealing yet – at least that’s what their recent moves suggest.
New York made waves Monday by sending a third-round pick to the Rangers for defenseman Carson Soucy, but there’s a good chance more moves are coming before the March trade deadline.
The timing makes sense. The Islanders have surprisingly pushed themselves into playoff contention, and with star goalie Ilya Sorokin playing lights-out hockey, they could be a tough matchup in the first round.
“We have a legit chance at winning a playoff round,” says Daily Faceoff’s Tyler Yaremchuk. “If you win one, who knows what can happen?”
First-year GM Mathieu Darche wasn’t expected to be aggressive this season. After all, this is a team that just drafted Matthew Schaefer first overall and seemed to be in rebuilding mode.
But the market conditions and the team’s recent success might be changing that calculation.
There’s also the Patrick Roy factor. The Islanders’ new head coach is known for demanding excellence – he once famously demanded his own trade as a player. Now he might be pushing for reinforcements behind the scenes.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing them go out and maybe add a forward to the mix,” Yaremchuk suggests.
The Islanders’ front office has to weigh the benefits of going all-in versus staying patient. A higher draft pick could help long-term, but there’s real value in making the playoffs – both for revenue and for giving young stars like Schaefer some postseason experience.
One thing’s clear: that Soucy trade probably isn’t the last move we’ll see from the Islanders this season.
