It’s time for another round of NHL rumours. We’re early in the season, but teams have already been making deals. Some general managers are trying to scramble and fill holes that have opened up due to injury. We’ve seen teams like the Utah Hockey Club already make moves to bolster their backend. However, other teams are trying to do the same thing. One of those teams is the New York Islanders. This edition of NHL rumours talks about how the Isles may try to make some defensive deals.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
New York Islanders Looking Into Defence In Trade Market
Rumour: On the most recent edition of Saturday Headlines on Hockey Night in Canada, Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Islanders might be looking for help on defence.
Another week, another Saturday Headlines from @FriedgeHNIC 📰 pic.twitter.com/4i1eSyMgol
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 3, 2024
Analysis: Injuries have hit the Isles hard in the last few weeks. Three regular blueliners are out of the lineup and general manager Lou Lamoriello may be in the market to fill some lineup holes. It was recently announced that both Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech are both out for four to six weeks. Barzal was officially placed on long-term injured reserve on Saturday.
Pelech suffered a broken jaw after blocking a shot against the Buffalo Sabres was placed on IR on Saturday. He is eligible to return in a week, but not sooner than that.
Mike Reilly also left Friday’s game with an upper-body injury after a scary hit with Jordan Greenway. However, Reilly is listed as day-to-day.
There was some good news as Alexander Romanov is slated to return to the lineup Sunday against the New York Rangers. This news comes from Andrew Gross of Newsday.
New York is also missing Anthony Duclair for the near future. However, Friedman mentioned that defence seems to be a priority for Lamoriello at this time.
What Does It Mean?
The Isles are 4-5-2 heading into Sunday’s game with the rival Rangers. Injuries have really decimated the lineup and this is a team that has struggled to score goals this season.
The Pelech, Romanov and Reilly injuries mean that three regular defenders were out of the lineup during the Buffalo game. All three them are also lefthanded shots and important parts of the lineup.
The good news is that Romanov and Reilly should be back soon. However, losing Pelech for over a month will really hurt. The 30-year-old plays a huge role on the Islanders and is one of their best blueliners along with Ryan Pulock.
Lamoriello has over $9.15 million cap space with all the LITR allowances. This cap flexibility will allow him to try and make a move to bolster the blueline group.
However, it’s likely the team won’t use all of that space with Barzal and Pelech hopefully returning in mid-December. Lamoriello will have to do something because the season could slip away before the holiday season with all of these injuries.
Teams have been willing to make moves to trade defenders early in the season. The Islanders have to hope a team is willing to make a deal.
Main photo by: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
