Islanders: Three questions leading into the trade deadline

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UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – JANUARY 14: Josh Bailey #12 of the New York Islanders celebrates his goal at 3:59 of the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on January 14, 2020 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

With the trade deadline coming up, the New York Islanders are hopefully going to try and bring a goal scorer. Here’s three questions about that quest as we approach the trade deadline.

An 8-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings looks great, but it changes nothing for the New York Islanders as they approach the trade deadline. Even with that flurry of offense (against the worst team in the NHL) the Isles still have the same needs from before the blowout.

They. Need. Scoring.

With those eight goals against the Red Wings, the Islanders rank 22nd in goals-for in all situations and 23rd in goals-for at 5on5. Only the Dallas Stars and Calgary Flames have scored fewer goals from a playoff position than the Islanders.

The Islanders clearly need a goal scorer, but clearly, they won’t be the only team looking to add scoring at the trade deadline. The Stars and Flames are in the exact same boat.

Lou Lamoriello hasn’t done much to tinker with the roster since he got here in the summer of 2018. He’s called up kids like Michael Dal Colle or Noah Dobson and brought in some bottom-six guys in free agency like Tom Kuhnhackl and Leo Komarov. Through the trade market, he brought Matt Martin for AHL goalie Eamon McAdams.

Lou has retooled the bottom tier of the roster, but it’s the top end that now needs his attention.

So as we approach the trade deadline here are three questions that need to be answered.

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