New York Islanders Cannot Mortgage the Future for a Rental

The New York Islanders have one glaring need as they enter the 2019 NHL trade deadline, they need another scoring forward. However, the Islanders cannot mortgage the future for a rental.

The New York Islanders have kept their winning ways by playing great team defense, as well as getting top-notch goaltending. But to make some serious noise in the playoffs one would think the blue and orange would need to add another scorer.

The Isles cannot sell the farm for a rental, not even for a game-changing player such as Artemi Panarin. Reason being the price for a Panarin even with him being a rental would cost an arm and a leg and then some.

Columbus is going to want a big package for Panarin. Figure a young talented, controllable NHL roster player, a top prospect, and a first-round pick. So for the Isles that would translate to

Anthony Beauvillier

, one of

Oliver Wahlstrom

,

Noah Dobson

,

Bode Wilde

, and their 2019 first round pick.

Too Much For A Rental

The Isles cannot go down that road for a rental. Now if Panarin or Mark Stone would talk contract extension before a trade is finalized that is a different story. That doesn’t appear to be on the table at the present time.

If a top player who is signed for a couple of more years after this season is available (such as Vladimir Tarasenko) that is a different set of encyclopedias. With St. Louis recent surge its hard to believe they would even listen to offers for Tarasenko.

Mortgaging the farm for a rental would be a horrible move for the New York Islanders.

Be Aggressive for a Rental Within Reason

No one is saying that Lou Lamoriello shouldn’t target a rental player or that he can’t get aggressive for a player who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. However, Lou cannot trade any of his talented young NHL roster players or his blue-chip prospects he currently has in the cupboard for a rental.

But Lou can still put an attractive package together for a rental player. The Isles could offer a package of their 2019 first round pick, one of their kids in Bridgeport (Josh Ho-Sang, Sebastian Aho, or Parker Wotherspoon), and one of their secondary prospects from the 2018 Draft.

Can such a package land an impact forward? The trade market would dictate that but that is a really good package for a rental player.

I want to see Lou and the organization get aggressive but it cannot come as a huge cost that will impact the Islanders negatively for years to come. The Isles should be aggressive but they also must be smart. That is what Lou Lamoriello is all about.