New York Islanders Garth Snow Needs to Trade Someone

New York Islanders GM Garth Snow won’t be trading John Tavares. Great. He shouldn’t. But can he tell us who he might trade? Cause the Islanders can use a trade right now.

There’s no doubt that the New York Islanders needs an injection of life. Over their last two games after the All-Star break they’ve looked absolutely D.O.A. Terrible losses to the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs have the Isles in a tailspin.

It’s not that losing to either teams in-and-of-themselves is bad. Every team in the NHL can win on any night. It’s how the Islanders lost both of those games that makes them terrible.

The former best offence in the league registered but a single goal across both games and the suspect defense allowed nine goals. The team as a whole just didn’t show up to both games. After a four day break.

Andrew Ladd is back from injury and Johnny Boychuk doesn’t seem far from a return. Getting both back is

like

a trade. The Isles are getting players that can add a positive impact on the squad. But Andrew Ladd and Johnny Boychuk alone won’t save the Islanders.

Tavares Ain’t Being Traded

The Athletics Pierre LeBrun, who is now calling Arthur Staple a colleague, (congrats Arthur) quoted the usually shy Garth Snow as saying he unequivocally won’t be trading John Tavares.

"“I’m not trading John Tavares,’’ Islanders Garth Snow told The Athletic via text message Thursday."

Outside of drafting John Tavares first overall in 2009, that’s probably the easiest decision Snow has ever made. You don’t trade one of the best players in the league.

So we know who Garth Snow isn’t going to trade. (Not like trading John Tavares should ever have been an option). What about the players he will trade? Because last I checked the Islanders are running out of runway.

I know there’s still 30 games and 60 points at play. And that the New York Islanders are still only a single point out of the playoffs. But the way the Islanders have been playing hasn’t filled anyone with confidence.

More from Eyes On Isles

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• Islanders Zdeno Chara trending in the right direction
• Islanders: Semyon Varlamov Deserves Benefit of the Doubt
• Islanders Ilya Sorokin becoming number one goalie
• Islanders Zach Parise Was Quiet in Return to Minnesota

So who will Garth Snow trade? He’s got players that still have some worth that he can shed from the roster. And he’s got those two first-round picks after the fantastic Travis Hamonic trade that he can move. Not to mention some of the youth the Islanders have in the system that other team starting the rebuild this season could use.

The tools are all there for the Islanders long-tenured GM to make a move and address the glaring hole in his lineup. It’s hard to see what he’s waiting for exactly. What’s he waiting for?!?

I’m hoping the finality of Garth Snow’s comments indicates that he’s confident of what Tavares might do leading up to the unrestricted free agency window. Because after the arena situation, the Tavares one is all that Snow could be waiting on.

Not knowing what your all-star captain will do as he approaches free agency puts a hold on a lot of plans. Just ask the Cleveland Cavaliers. Do they start building for the future assuming LeBron leaves? Or do they appease him now and build a contender while liquidating whatever future assets they might still control?

Next: Can The Isles Recall Josh Ho-Sang Please?

It’s great that Garth Snow came out and shed some light on how the organization views Tavares vis-a-vis the trade market. But with that comes the hope that Snow moves someone to get this team going. Because as it stands it’s hard to believe they can make the playoffs.