New York Islanders Mailbag: Tavares Talk and Trade Proposals

Welcome back to everyone’s favorite New York Islanders mailbag. This is our third installment of the mailbag and we got some good questions.

Before we get into it remember you can always send over your New York Islanders questions to us on facebook or twitter to be featured in the next mailbag. On this week’s edition of the EOI Mailbag, we have some John Tavares and trade questions to discuss.

There were a lot of good questions so let’s get started:

From @GSlippery on twitter: If Snow gets duchene (or 2C equivalent) w/o giving up too much, think it would be enough to push JT to sign irregardless of arena situation?

I think it would help the Isles in negotiations. I’m a bit torn here if I think the roster or arena situation has more of an impact, but I’m leaning more towards the arena. I truly believe he has full faith in Garth Snow, why I don’t know, but he seems to be very loyal to him and his direction.

I either said it in one of the previous mailbags or on one of the podcasts (shameless plug) that Garth seems to be signing John’s friends or players John really likes (example Cal Clutterbuck). So, I do think that improving the team can help negotiations, ultimately it’s coming down to the arena.

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From @7jjrh7: If Barzal starts off great should the Isles trade for a top pair D instead trading the future for Duchene?

I guess it depends on what the Isles are giving up and for who. The Islanders allowed more goals than all but eight teams in the league last year. So as much as we hear how bad the scoring depth is, the defense wasn’t so great last year either.

Right now I think your pairs are:

Leddy – Boychuk

de Haan – Pulock

Pelech – Seidenberg

with Hickey as a seventh d-man.

I’m not so sure how I have faith in Boychuk as a top pairing defenseman anymore. I recently talked about how the Isles are relying on him to stay healthy, which is something he’s never done in his career.

I like the thought process here with this question. If Barzal shows he can put up 2c numbers in year one, yeah let’s get a top pairing defenseman.

From @Clarke0614: Do you see Kulemin being traded at the trade deadline, and for what?

No, I don’t see Kulemin as someone who could be moved because of his cap number and lack of an offensive game. Actually, the other day in my hot takes for 2017-2018 article I talked about another depth player who I think has a better chance of being moved.

(Hint: He scored 20 goals last year)

From @ChrisEsturo: Where does Bellows fit on our forward prospect depth chart?

He’s pretty high up there. I’m definitely putting him above Michael Dal Colle who I’ve practically given up on. He’s got a chance to make the roster next year, depending on who departs in free agency and how much Garth Snow wants to let his youth play.

Based on recent history, it’s pretty likely Bellows has a roster spot in 2018. Ceilings wise, it probably goes Ho-Sang, Barzal, Bellows, Dal Colle, Beauvillier.

From @Evilbeavis: does tavares have enough leverage in contract negotiations to get isles owners to agree play at coliseum while belmont is being built?

As a short term solution, I don’t see why not. The Barclays Center doesn’t want the Islanders. If it was as simple as John Tavares saying he’d sign if the Isles play at the Coliseum until Belmont is ready I think Ledecky and Malkin find a way to make that happen.

Next: Rookie Camp Roster Hopefuls

Another good week of questions! The mailbag is a bi-weekly occurrence so be on the lookout in a couple weeks and send in those questions!