Islanders Doug Weight Talks About Trade Scenario

Going into the offseason the New York Islanders need some help at the top of the forward depth chart. We’ve speculated all year how they can do that. Now it seems management shares our vision.

When I say “our” I don’t me just Eyes On Isles, I mean any New York Islanders fan out there as a collective. We’ve been saying for months now that they need help up top. And to do so they need to use some of their defensive depth.

Today Arthur Staple published an article for Newsday where he talks to New York Islanders Head Coach Doug Weight about his new coaching staff, preparing for camp, preparing for the expansion and entry draft, and overall, getting better next season.

In the conversation, Weight talks about how the Isles roster can get better:

"“We have a strength,” Weight said. “We have good players on defense and we have good numbers there. There’s teams that need things we have and there’s teams that have things we need . . . To add a high-end skill player on the offensive side, that’s something we think about.”"

In The System

The Islanders have a ton of defensive depth, both young and…veteran. The likes of Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield and Adam Pelech are young players already either playing with the Isles or just on the cusp of a roster spot.

Then there’s Devon Toews who was named tot he AHL all-star game last season and put up an impressive 45 points in 76 games with Bridgeport. He’s right up there with the first three, but with only a single season in the AHL, he’ll have to have a mighty good camp to get a spot.

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Not to mention the Isles have Parker Wotherspoon and Mitch Vande Sompel in the minors pushing their way up the depth chart.

Vande Sompel scored 53 points in 67 games between the Oshawa Generals and London Knights in the OHL this season. Wotherspoon, playing for the Tri-City Americans of the WHL had 66 points in 69 games. Falling to Mathew Barzal‘s Thunderbirds in the opening round of the WHL playoffs.

Already on the Team

And then there’s still the likes of Travis Hamonic, Calvin de Haan, and Thomas Hickey on the Isles roster that are proven NHL-level defensemen. Neither are top pair players but on a 3-4 role, either of the three can flourish.

The Isles have depth in defense, and that translates into expendable assets. Assets that need to be moved to acquire pieces they don’t have. Like a second line center or a top line winger.

Next: Isles Trade Targets for Every NHL Team

It’s great to see that management seemingly see things the way we all see it. Now they just have to go out there and execute said plan. With the Expansion Draft looming it might be difficult to pull off. But by draft day on June 23rd there’s no excuse.

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