New York Islanders: Silver Lining Off-Season Playbook

The New York Islanders can not actually say they’ve had much good news since their season ended.  But maybe some good can come of the bad news.

Nobody writing here should try to make the case that losing the draft lottery is better for the New York Islanders than winning it. That would be an absurd thought. But perhaps the fallout can provide the Isles with slight variations that enhance their chances to make a splash.

Colorado drafting fourth is interesting. Had they landed in the first overall spot their play “earned” them this season, or even the second, the Avalanche would have undoubtedly drafted a forward (Nolan Patrick or Nick Hischier). you could see where that pick would “replace” a traded Matt Duchene, who had to be traded for a number one Defenseman.

New York Islanders

The Islanders don’t have a number one defenseman to give. They don’t even have one to KEEP!

But the Avs are picking 4th, the first spot where a blue liner is a realistic choice.  If they find one they believe in in that spot, and think he’s a future #1, maybe the pressure to fill that spot is off?

Oh, they’ll still need help on D, but adding Makar, or Heiskanen, or Liljegren, might allow them to accept a Hamonic/deHaan level asset in the package. This is not a proclamation, or a prediction, but rather a thought.

If the Devils, picking first, feel they have landed their #1 center, and if they are satisfied that center and Taylor Hall are the leaders of a new generation, does it allow them to take assets that support them in return for Kovalchuk?  It could.

Here’s a third possible silver lining.  While not many New York Islander prospects went far in the post season, the two that did, have done extremely well. Mathew Barzal?  Well, he’s up around two points per post season game. And Linus Soderstrom won his Swedish League Championship with a game seven OT victory.

Next: Isles Prospect Soderstrom Wins Title

Does that make Soderstrom a trade target for a goalie desperate team? Maybe a team desperate for a prospect.  He could be the third piece in a trade that lands a big name.

There’s no point in sugar coating it. The point of the post is to try to make lemonade from lemons. Feel free to suck on the sour fruit if you prefer.