Islanders & Maple Leafs Trade Opportunities
Plus, could more changes be on the horizon for the Islanders after the next stretch of games?
Welcome to the THW New York Islanders Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Islanders writers.
In today’s edition, we have a piece that looks at three trades the Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs could make before this year’s deadline. We also look at the team’s upcoming stretch of games and the impact it could have.
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Now, on to the good stuff…
Islanders’ Next Stretch Could Lead to More Changes
February 5, 2024 by Michael Ostrower
This season has been nothing short of a rollercoaster of emotions for the New York Islanders. From firing Head Coach Lane Lambert; to losing Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, and others to the Long Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) at times; to the league-leading 12 overtime/shootout losses — the team has not made it easy on the fanbase and unfortunately sits just seventh in the Metropolitan Division in points percentage.
3 Trades the Islanders & Maple Leafs Can Make
February 5, 2024 by Mike Fink
The NHL season returns from the All-Star Break with the New York Islanders facing the team that hosted the 2024 All-Star Game, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on Monday night. Both teams stumbled into the break and are middling in the standings, so they will be looking to improve their position in the Eastern Conference.
The Islanders and Maple Leafs don’t seem like ideal trade partners, but recent history suggests otherwise. Last season, the Islanders acquired Pierre Engvall at the deadline in a move that gave them a reliable top-six scorer, while the Maple Leafs opened up salary cap space in the process. Engvall has struggled this season, but the move suggests that these two front offices are comfortable with each other.
To be fair, that trade happened with Kyle Dubas as the Maple Leafs general manager (GM), and we know less about new GM Brad Treliving and how he’ll operate. Additionally, it’s unlikely Treviling will go all-in on a roster that doesn’t look like it will make a deep playoff run. The Maple Leafs are good, but they’re fourth in the Atlantic and not set up to overpower their division rivals. That said, if the right offer is on the table that could benefit both teams, a trade with the Islanders could happen.