The New York Islanders are looking to add talent on the wing and can do so in a trade this summer. They have plenty of centers but lack that elite playmaker or scorer to go along with the strength up the middle. The two prominent players on the trade block are Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets and Patrik Laine of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Both players come with risks and ones that will make the Islanders, especially general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello, avoid them altogether. However, they must consider adding both since the offense is in dire need of scoring and both Ehlers and Laine can provide them with that.
The Pros of Acquiring Laine
Among all the skaters who are available this offseason either through free agency or a trade, Laine has arguably the highest ceiling out there. His play from a few seasons back is an indicator of that. He scored 44 goals and 26 assists in the 2017-18 season with the Jets and in 2021-22, he had 26 goals and 30 assists with the Blue Jackets. When he’s comfortable with the team he’s playing on, his talent is unquestioned.
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Laine brings a burst of speed, making him a skater who can win on the rush and when he’s given space to operate. On top of that, he’s also a balanced forward who can both create scoring chances and find the back of the net himself. Laine does a lot of things well when he’s on the ice and any team that acquires him is betting on his ability to tap into that.
For the Islanders, the possibility of pairing him with one of their top six centers is there and it’s intriguing. On the same line with Mathew Barzal, he could use his speed and quick shot to take over games. On the Brock Nelson-led line, he would create plenty of scoring chances but also give the Islanders a balanced line and a forward unit that would be tough to stop.
The Pros of Acquiring Ehlers
Ehlers is one of the more underrated scorers in the league. Overshadowed by Kyle Connor, who is one of the best in the NHL, the 28-year-old winger scored 20 goals or more in seven of his nine seasons in the NHL and has 201 goals in total. He takes advantage of a lot of open looks from the face-off circles and buries them with his quick shot. Ehlers isn’t the splashy addition many hope the Islanders will get but he fills a big void in the top six.
If the Islanders add Ehlers to the lineup, he’ll likely play on the top line, giving them a trio of him, Barzal, and Bo Horvat, who was acquired in a trade in the middle of the 2022-23 season. The combination would provide Barzal with two elite scorers and also allow Horvat to continue to find open looks from the middle of the offensive zone where both his wingers are providing him with scoring chances.
The Cons of Acquiring Laine
Recent history provides a lot of reasons to avoid targeting Laine. He’s battled injuries and off-the-ice setbacks culminating in him entering the player’s assistance program in the middle of the 2023-24 season. The Blue Jackets were a mess and following the Pascal Vincent firing, they’ll be on their fourth head coach in two seasons but Laine’s disappearance was gasoline on the fire.
Then there’s the salary attached to him as Laine’s average annual value (AAV) is $8.7 million. If the Islanders acquire him, they’ll need the Blue Jackets to take on some of the salary to make a deal work, even with the cap rising next season and every team getting more wriggle room.
Laine wants to be traded this offseason and find success in a new setting. The problem is that it won’t be easy to move him and it will be tougher for any team to acquire him. The Islanders are no exception as a bad trade and adding another hefty contract to their books will set them back and leave them with little to no chance of making a push for the Stanley Cup.
The Cons of Acquiring Ehlers
The injuries in recent seasons are the biggest concern with Ehlers. In 2021-22, he missed 20 games and early on in the 2022-23 season, a sports hernia surgery sidelined him for 37 games. He returned to form with 25 goals and 36 assists this season but the missed time in the past three seasons is a big enough reason for the Islanders to avoid him.
The Islanders also must keep in mind who Ehlers was playing alongside and the potent top-six that the Jets possess. With Connor, Mark Scheifele, and the young emerging Cole Perfetti having the puck on their sticks, Ehlers was able to find easy scoring chances. The Islanders have talent in their top-six but they don’t have a Connor, and Ehlers could flop alongside Barzal and Horvat.
Who Should the Islanders Acquire?
Ehlers has his risks but he’s the safer bet. Laine’s upside seems like a thing of the past while Ehlers proved recently that he can still reliably contribute to the offense. With this in mind, the Islanders will likely go after him if they indeed are interested in making a splash.
Ehlers will cost more in a trade as the Islanders will either have to part with their first-round pick or both of their second-round picks. Laine meanwhile won’t have a high price tag because of his cap hit. That said, the Islanders would be willing to pay the price to add Ehlers, certainly more than they would for Laine, who has the off chance of returning to that high upside forward many fans saw a few years ago.
