New York Islanders Need To Work Detroit Red Wings For Trade

If there’s one thing the New York Islanders have in abundance it’s draft picks. If there’s one thing the Detroit Red Wings want, it’s draft picks. So let’s make a deal already?

When the New York Islanders traded Travis Hamonic to the Calgary Flames for a first round pick in 2018 and second-round picks (one in 2018 and the other in 2019) we all thought the Isles were immediately going to move those picks.

That trade happened on June 24th, 2017. Almost seven months ago. For nearly seven months Garth Snow has been holding on to those draft picks. But as the trade deadline looms he’ll have to part with some.

With all of six roster players out with injury, he needs reinforcement. He’s tried the kids in the pipeline. Some have fit well, while others just haven’t. It’s time he goes to the trade market to acquire the help his team desperately needs. And deserves.

And the Detroit Red Wings seem like the perfect fit for a call from the New York Islanders GM.

They Want What We Got

According to The Detroit News’ John Niyo, the Red Wings are looking for draft picks at the trade deadline. Perfect, cause the Islanders have just that.

The Red Wings currently own nine picks in this year’s draft, including five in the first three rounds, and 17 selections in 2018 and ’19 combined. But they’d like to add more future assets — they need to add more — and they almost assuredly will in the coming weeks.

Who could the Islanders want on a team that holds an 18-19-7 record and sit below them in the Eastern Conference standings? The answer is either a defenseman or one of their two goalies.

On defense, the most interesting player has to be Mike Green. He’s sitting on an expiring $6 million deal and looking to unrestricted free agency. The 30-year-old is mobile, shoots right, is productive and is great on the power play. Check, check, check, check.

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He’s the perfect (if not better) fill in for the out for the season Calvin de Haan. Green already has 25 points on the season with 12 of those coming on the power play.

The only issue with Green is that $6 million cap hit. The New York Islanders have less than $1.5 million under the cap ceiling. They’ll have to find a way to find some cap space by either trading a roster player, Detroit eating some of the cap hit, or sending a player to LTIR.

In terms of goaltending the Red Wings have two interesting players; Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard.

Mrazek is the more interesting of the two simply due to his age (25-years-old) and what his ceiling might be. Remember when everyone thought he could win the Vezina a few years back? Getting him and his $4-million-single-year-pending-RFA contract out of Detroit won’t be cheap but could be the starter the Isles are lacking.

It would be cheaper to get Jimmy Howard. But on the one hand, he’s got two years left at $5.29 million and he’s 33-years-old. On the other hand, if Mike Smith can have the type of season he’s having with Calgary at 35, maybe age isn’t that big of a factor. Especially if Howard can give the Isles the same 2.73 GAA and .914 SV% he’s giving the Red Wings this season.

Next: New York Islanders NHL Trade Deadline Preview 2.0

The New York Islanders will be active at the trade deadline and the Detroit Red Wings are the perfect fit for a trade partner. Again, they have what we want. And we have what they want. So lets make a deal already!