There’s been quite a bit of surprising activity as summer winds down. If you’ve been offline or on vacation recently (lucky you!), here’s a summary of the major moves that have occurred.
The St. Louis Blues snagged Dylan Holloway and Phillip Broberg by making offer sheets to these restricted free agents, and their offers went unmatched. To compensate for losing Broberg and Holloway, the Edmonton Oilers brought in Vasily Podkolzin from the Vancouver Canucks and traded Cody Ceci to the San Jose Sharks for Ty Emberson, freeing up some cap space. The Columbus Blue Jackets sent Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens, while Rutger McGroarty was traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Brayden Yager. Yaroslav Askarov, who had requested a trade, moved from the Nashville Predators to the Sharks.
This flurry of activity indicates that the offseason might still have a few surprises in store. The New York Islanders seem to have wrapped up their summer moves, with General Manager Lou Lamoriello unlikely to make any more significant trades. However, the Islanders could potentially open up cap space for future trades, with several teams having ample cap room.
The Blue Jackets, having freed up salary cap space with Laine’s departure, might be interested in acquiring Scott Mayfield. Despite Mayfield’s declining performance and the six years left on his contract, the Blue Jackets could benefit from his defensive capabilities if he still has strong play left. Moving Mayfield would also give the Islanders $3.5 million in cap space, which they could use to address other roster needs.
The Calgary Flames are in a retooling phase, having traded away most of their veteran players. If they exceed expectations, they might look to add a veteran defenseman like Adam Pelech or Ryan Pulock to accelerate their rebuild. Although the Islanders ideally want to keep Pelech and Pulock, a trade could become possible if circumstances change during the season.
The Detroit Red Wings, despite having a strong top six forward group, lack depth beyond their leading players. Adding Jean-Gabriel Pageau could strengthen their third line and improve their chances of making the playoffs and competing for the Cup. For the Islanders, moving Pageau could be a strategic move to gain flexibility for future transactions, whether it’s before the season starts or at the trade deadline.
The Islanders aren’t currently over the cap, so there’s no immediate pressure to trade players unless it’s beneficial. They might consider trades involving players like Mayfield or Pageau with teams like the Anaheim Ducks, who have significant cap space and could be open to taking on additional contracts as they continue their rebuild.
As the offseason comes to a close, there may still be opportunities for trades, depending on how Lamoriello navigates roster adjustments and cap management.
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