New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs are Perfect Trading Partners

The New York Islanders need to add goal scoring this off-season. The Toronto Maple Leafs need blue line help and to get under the salary cap. The Isles and the Leafs are perfect trading partners.

The New York Islanders are coming off a terrific-feel good season. However, it’s clear what their biggest deficiency is and that’s putting the puck in the net.

Perfect Trade Partner

Believe it or not Islander fans, the team you love to hate, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the perfect trade partner for the blue and orange. Reason being Toronto has what the Isles need and vice versa.

The Leafs hit this off-season in a massive cap crunch. Good players on the Toronto roster will have to be moved because of their current salary cap situation.

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Either William Nylander or Kasperi Kapanen will have to be traded this off-season by Toronto GM Kyle Dubas. It’s possible both might have to go.

The Leafs have plenty of scoring forwards but need blue line help and assets in return that have very little or no cap ramifications next season. The Islanders have a plethora of those kinds of assets.

Let’s not forget Lou Lamoriello knows the Toronto roster inside and out as he was the General Manager of the Leafs just a little over a year ago. He knows each Maple Leaf player from a tangible and intangible perspective.

Talk Turkey

In a deal for either Nylander or Kapanen, the Leafs would want a defenseman and as many future assets that they could get. The fact the Islanders have Adam Pelech signed for $1.6 million the next two seasons and Scott Mayfield at a similar number (1.45 million) over the next four years would be very appealing to Toronto.

The Islanders are probably also willing to move their upcoming first-round pick (23rd overall). Lamoriello was willing to do so at the trade deadline.

In addition, Lamoriello would probably be willing to move a top blueline prospect such as Bode Wilde in the right deal. With the Isles depth on defense on the main roster, as well as in Bridgeport, and with Noah Dobson heading to Long Island in the near future, this could mean Wilde could become expendable.

Bottom line is the Islanders have a number of attractive low salary cap assets that they would probably put on the table in trade talks with any club.

It seems weird wanting to make a trade with Toronto from an Islander fan perspective. But both teams line up perfectly in terms of getting a deal done and that is usually the exception and not the norm.