3 Trades The New York Islanders Could Make To Create Cap Space – Hockey Writers – New York Islanders

There have been many surprising late summer moves. In case you've been off the grid or on vacation lately (good for you if you were), here's a list of all the big moves that have happened.

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• St. Louis Blues acquired both Dylan Holloway and Phillip Broberg as restricted free agents (RFAs) and their offers were not matched.
• To make up for the loss of Broberg and Holloway, the Edmonton Oilers acquired Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks. They then traded Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks to make room for Ty Emberson.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets traded Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens.
• Rutger McGroarty was traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Brayden Yager.
• After requesting a trade, Yaroslav Askarov's wish came true as he moved from the Nashville Predators to the Sharks.

All of these moves suggest that the offseason still has a splash or two left in it. The New York Islanders are one of the teams that seem to be done this summer and general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello isn't going to make another big move, or any move for that matter. That said, the Islanders could open up a trade space down the road and have a few options with other teams having more.

Blue Jackets Can Get Mayfield

The Blue Jackets have plenty of salary cap space to work with after trading Laine and his $8.7 million annual cap hit. They are rebuilding and looking to add youth to the roster and allow some of their prospects to develop. However, taking a bad contract could be a gamble for them, especially if a draft pick is thrown into the deal.

Scott Mayfield is an unwanted player on many teams in the NHL. He will be 32 when the season starts and is on the decline, but still has six seasons left on his contract. Despite all the odds, the Blue Jackets could use a skater to help end the defense. If Mayfield has a good game left in him, he's an important part of the roster.

The Islanders would also appreciate a Mayfield trade. Getting rid of him would remove a bad contract from their books and give them $3.5 million to work with down the road. Sure, they will need to deal with the third pairing of the defense but if a prospect like Samuel Bolduc can fill that gap, the team suddenly has room to fix the bottom six of their forward unit.

Flames Force the Green Line

The Calgary Flames are retooling and in fact, trading every veteran on their roster that isn't tied to a long-term contract. With plenty of young skaters playing big roles, this is a team that could go either way this season. It says they are overachieving and having a great season. Suddenly, the timeline changes and they can speed things up by adding a veteran to their defense. Two players who can play that role are Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock.

Ideally, the Islanders won't be moving any defensemen. Both are the foundations of the unit and are essential to a successful season. At the same time, Pelech and Pulock have long-term contracts that the Islanders would like to get out of, especially if their best hockey is gone.

The question is when will this type of agreement happen, which is unique? It wouldn't happen in the postseason when the Islanders are looking to compete and Pelech and Pulock are key parts of the roster. So, it could happen once the season starts but only if a few things happen. Pelech or Pulock must play well, the Islanders must struggle, and the Flames must be ahead of schedule and play well. Therefore, it is unlikely to happen but it should be remembered.

What's also important is that if the Flames continue to rework, they may pick up Mayfield's contract. They can only do it if they can add hope but it would be a good move for all parties involved.

Red Wings Add Page

The Detroit Red Wings don't have much depth at forward, as surprising as that may sound. Yes, they have six good players led by the trio of Alex DeBrincat, Dylan Larkin, and Lucas Raymond (they also signed Vladimir Tarasenko) but after that, there has been some letdown. With this in mind, they should consider adding Jean-Gabriel Pageau to strengthen the middle of the unit.

Pageau is in decline but still an important contributor. In particular, he is a good passer, and in the center of the third line, he will play good defense. It makes him a valuable addition to a Red Wings team looking to push for a playoff spot and Cup contention.

For the Islanders, Pageau is a player they'll want to move if they hope to break even at some point, whether it's the preseason or the trade deadline. With this in mind, a Pageau trade could happen at any time between now and the trade deadline, however, a trade deadline move could have different returns depending on where both teams stand.

Islanders Have Other Options Too

The Islanders aren't done yet. Therefore, they don't have to release a skater if they don't want to (and considering his track record, Lamoriello doesn't want to). Instead, the Islanders could make a hockey trade where they move Mayfield, Pageau, or another player with a respectable contract to another team with a contract they want out of.

Then there are the Anaheim Ducks, who are at a high level but are expected to start the season with $21.7 million to deal with. They could take both Pageau and Mayfield's contracts and still have $12 million in cap space. Would they agree to take the contract? That's a big question. It's possible considering where they are in their rebuild as they look at other assets for the future.

The offseason is wrapping up and there aren't many moves left until the season starts. However, the past few weeks have proven that a trade may still be on the table. All it takes is for Lamoriello to get to work and start moving the pieces to give the Islanders a chance to adapt.