The 2023-24 season is just around the corner with the offseason moves all but wrapped up. The New York Islanders re-signed their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) and extended goaltender Ilya Sorokin for the next eight years and are hoping to take a step forward this season. After making the playoffs last year, the hope is that the same group can go make a run in 2024.
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The Islanders have a deep roster led notably by a strong defensive unit and elite goaltending. With that depth, however, comes expendability. Specifically, there are only 20 roster spots available, and a player that doesn’t make the cut can be moved by general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello.
If the Islanders are going to make a splash this season, they will trade away a few skaters in a blockbuster deal that puts them over the top. Likewise, if things go downhill and they need to retool on the fly, they can start with their most expendable players or likely trade candidates.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Jean-Gabriel Pageau was in trade talks this summer as the forward that Lamoriello could move on from in a big trade. The move that particularly gained traction was a trade for Alex DeBrincat. The Islanders had the pieces in place to acquire the star forward notably with Pageau on the roster. Ultimately, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, but if the Islanders are going to make a blockbuster deal this season, their veteran center will likely be a part of that deal.
Pageau centers the third line and has been a reliable part of the forward unit in each of the past four seasons, scoring 47 goals and 62 assists. More importantly, he has stepped up on the defensive end of the ice, and with 4.9 defensive point shares, he’s been one of the team’s best two-way players in recent years. The Islanders would have a tough time replacing him even in a trade where they add a star to the lineup. That said, they have avenues to replace him.
Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat will be on the same line this season but both as centers. Moreover, if the Islanders add a center in a blockbuster trade, like Elias Lindholm of the Calgary Flames, they can move one of their centers to the third line to form a potent top-nine.
The Islanders can make a blockbuster deal with Pageau involved and similarly, they can move on from him if they want to start a roster teardown. He has three years left on his contract and while he’s starting to decline, he can still help a team make a push for the Stanley Cup. If the Islanders want to help out their depleted prospect pool this year, Pageau is the ideal player to move.
Samuel Bolduc
The Scott Mayfield deal brings into question Samuel Bolduc’s role in the unit. Mayfield was given a seven-year deal and with the signing, three of the Islanders’ six starting defensemen are under contract for the next six years. Granted, Bolduc plays mostly on the left side but last year, he established himself as a versatile third-pair option who could fill in when another defenseman was injured. Heading into this season, he’s the seventh defenseman on the roster and will see limited ice time as a result.
Bolduc signed a two-year extension this offseason, a move that at the time, signaled that he would take on a bigger role this season. However, considering he isn’t expected to see the ice a lot this year, he could be moved in a deal. He could be part of a one-for-one trade that adds a depth forward to the roster and similarly, he can be part of a package that acquires an elite player like William Nylander. At 22 years old, he is the ideal young skater that a rebuilding or a retooling team would like to add to their defense. Therefore, it makes him a viable skater for Lamoriello to trade.
Cal Clutterbuck
The Islanders made a handful of moves this offseason in hopes of finding Cal Clutterbuck’s replacement on the right wing. The biggest was re-signing Hudson Fasching, who was a pleasant surprise last year but a checking forward who could become a pivotal part of the fourth line. Additionally, Julien Gauthier and Karson Kuhlman were brought in this summer by Lamoriello, both of whom play the right wing in a minor role. All three skaters can replace Clutterbuck on the fourth line to add much-needed youth and speed to the lineup.
The question is what Clutterbuck’s value is on the trade market. Specifically, what team would want a 35-year-old skater who is playing in the final year of his contract? Ideally, he plays out his contract and starts every game with the Islanders after missing 33 games last year to injury. However, if a team that is making a push to win the Cup is looking to add a checking presence at the trade deadline, the Islanders will move Clutterbuck in a trade, especially if they are out of the playoff hunt.
Other Expendable Islanders
Robin Salo will likely spend next season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Bridgeport Islanders. The young defenseman showed flashes last year but couldn’t win the starting job as Sebastian Aho beat him out for the final spot on the unit. He enters this season with an outside chance of making the NHL roster and like Bolduc, he is an expendable defenseman.
Clutterbuck is a fourth-line skater that is easily replaceable, with a handful of right-wing skaters ready to take on the starting role but Matt Martin can also be traded this year. Martin, like Clutterbuck, is at the twilight of his career and can be moved if the Islanders hope to add youth to their forward unit.
The Islanders’ depth is a strength largely because it can lead the team to victories. However, the deep roster also helps Lamoriello if he wants to make a big move one way or another this season.