We’re just over three weeks from the NHL trade deadline, and New York Islanders fans are anxiously waiting to see what moves team president and general manager Lou Lamoriello will make.
Recently, a few of you have come to me, looking for my opinion on your own Islanders trade ideas. All of them have been creative, and some more than others. You ask, you shall receive.
Here are a few trades posed by NYI Hockey Now readers on
They’d have to place Hudson Fasching on long-term injured reserve and waive Robert Bortuzzo to fit Tarasenko under the cap, but that’s a small price to pay in this situation.
Tarasenko isn’t the player he was in his heyday, but he would still provide a more reliable scoring option than what the Islanders currently have in their middle six. I’m just not entirely sure where he fits in the Islanders’ lineup.
The easiest place is on the third line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom, but that’s not necessarily a role that fits Tarasenko’s play style. He’d work best alongside Brock Nelson, but that’d mean shifting Kyle Palmieri, who has worked so well next to Nelson for a long time.
But a few questions need to be considered first before we put Tarasenkon in blue and orange.
Is a package of Wahlstrom, Aho and a second-round pick enticing enough for the Senators, who will surely have multiple bidders looking to acquire Tarasenko?
Secondly, and more importantly, will Tarasenko waive his full no-trade clause to join the Islanders?
