The dust is settling in the offseason and we’re at that point in the summer, after all the big signings happen, where there isn’t a lot going on. If the New York Islanders hope to upgrade their roster, aside from the Anthony Duclair addition, any improvement will come in a trade.
Related: 4 Teams That Can Trade for Islanders J.G. Pageau
The problem is that the only type of trade that can happen is a high-risk one. It doesn’t look like Mitch Marner is getting traded and the Nikolaj Ehlers talk has quieted down. It means that general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello must take a swing or roll the dice (or whatever you want to say that translates to take a risk) on a player in a trade with the hope the deal works out. With this in mind, there are a few players that can be seen as high-risk who the Islanders can target.
Torey Krug
The St. Louis Blues eventually must admit that the Torey Krug signing was a flop. They signed him to a seven-year deal in the 2020 offseason and failed to live up to the expectations as a dynamic two-way defenseman. The Blues aren’t buying out Krug, at least not this offseason, but a trade is on the table for a team looking to rebuild.
Signing Ryan Suter only further adds fuel to a trade. The Blues added the veteran defenseman and now have extra skaters on the roster, making Krug a possible odd one out. Even if a trade isn’t favorable for the Blues as they’ll likely have to retain most of his remaining contract, it will help them move on and start rebuilding.
The Islanders don’t need an extra defenseman with the starting six all but set for next season. However, having Krug as an extra skater would go a long way. First off, it would allow them to prepare for the inevitable injuries, something the unit has battled through in each of the past three seasons. There’s no guarantee Scott Mayfield can play all 82 games and having Krug around to split games on the third pair would go a long way.
On top of that, the addition would give the Islanders a two-way defenseman to help Noah Dobson at the point, something the unit desperately needs. Krug has declined on the defensive end of the ice but remains a great passer with 124 assists in four seasons with the Blues. It’s the big reason the Islanders can consider making a run for him in a trade, especially if they can fit the remainder of his contract under the salary cap.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Jesperi Kotkaniemi is a high-risk player yet one the Islanders should consider trading for this offseason. His tenure with the Carolina Hurricanes has been a disaster as he signed an eight-year contract with a $4.8 average annual value in the 2021 offseason yet he only has 42 goals and 57 assists to show for it through three seasons.
If the Islanders acquire him, they are betting on two things. One is that he returns to the form he had with the Montreal Canadiens earlier in his career. Two is that at 23, he still has time to turn his career around and develop into a dynamic forward. In the right setting, he can be a great addition to any offense, notably with his speed playing a big factor.
Like Krug, Kotkaniemi will require the team that trades him to take on most, if not all, of the contract. If the Hurricanes are willing to do that then the Islanders would look to slide him to their third line, which needs a spark and speed to help turn it around after a lackluster season. He’ll help add depth to the offense and his upside makes him an option for the top-six at some point down the road.
Rutger McGroarty
Rutger McGroarty doesn’t seem like a high-risk player considering he’s a prospect with not much of a track record. That’s part of the risk of acquiring him is that as a prospect, there’s no telling if he’ll make it at the NHL level, despite many fans and experts believing he’ll become a top player someday. There’s also the trade demand that is a red flag. Sure, Cutter Gauthier did the same thing, asking his way out of the Philadelphia Flyers organization despite never playing a game for them and other prospects will do the same. But some teams will see prospects who are seeking trades as an issue and Lamoriello could be one of those GMs.
The trade talk surrounding McGroarty was coming in fast and furious before the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. It’s cooled since but he probably is still looking to be dealt and a trade might still happen late in the summer. The Islanders would look to add him to the prospect pool and the hope being that he becomes part of their young core moving forward.
Other High-Risk Players The Islanders Can Target
The Islanders would love to have Patrik Laine on the wing but there are a lot of issues surrounding both him and the Columbus Blue Jackets that make a deal unlikely. For starters, Laine remains in the NHL player assistance program, making it difficult for him to be traded. There’s also the fact the Blue Jackets remain without a head coach and are at a crossroads — they are looking to rebuild but also make moves to be competitive and that puts them in a bind with their dynamic winger.
There’s also the intrigue involving veterans of the Calgary Flames, notably Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman. The Flames are retooling and might look to trade either skater to continue adding young talent to the roster but both veterans don’t want to leave the city. It also looks like both players are going to remain building blocks to help the team become competitive in the future.
Is there a high-risk player you think the Islanders should target? Let us know in the comments section below!
