Islanders: Some Final Trade Deadline Thoughts

Islanders are Well-Perceived Externally

Having a confident front office is not all it takes to make a trade though; players also have to want to play for the Islanders. It was not too long ago that players actively did not want to play for the Islanders. At any rate, gone are the days where a Christian Erhoff will refuse to sign with the Islanders. Or when players like Thomas Vanek want out because of the situation around the club.

Now, players are actually excited to come to the Isles. Andy Greene waived his no-trade clause (NTC) to join the Isles, while Pageau said it was “such an honor” to join the team. Evidently, Zach Parise had even been willing to waive his NTC to join the Islanders, had that trade come to fruition.

That wasn’t the case just four years ago when the Islanders were apparently one of three teams most commonly named in no-trade clauses.

It is not a huge surprise that these players were excited to leave their bad teams to join the Islanders for a playoff-run. Nonetheless, when a player like 27-year-old Pageau then signs a six-year contract to stay with the Isles for the remainder of the prime of his career, it shows that players believe in the Isles.

The Islanders may have missed out on Artemi Panarin last summer, but there is no denying that their favorability across the league is on an upward trend.