Islanders: Jordan Eberle vs Josh Bailey Trade Value Comparison

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - APRIL 10: (l-r) Josh Bailey #12 and Jordan Eberle #7 of the New York Islanders celebrate a goal by Brock Nelson #29 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on April 10, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Penguins 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - APRIL 10: (l-r) Josh Bailey #12 and Jordan Eberle #7 of the New York Islanders celebrate a goal by Brock Nelson #29 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum on April 10, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Islanders defeated the Penguins 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Between Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle who would yield a bigger trade package for the New York Islanders?

In the off time, sometimes it’s hard for your brain not to wander and trades is something that often comes up as I try to improve the New York Islanders. While the Islanders have made some trades recently, they haven’t given up roster players just yet.

Draft picks and prospects seem to be on the table but would Lou Lamoriello be able to move anyone on the roster?

I want to preface this by saying I wouldn’t be actively looking to move either of these two players but if the right trade came up where the Isles could drastically improve the top six I would highly consider it.

The two players I’m talking about are Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle. Now, both players have four-years remaining on their deal with Eberle’s cap hit at $5.5 million and Bailey’s at $5 million. In addition, they both give you similar production.

Taking into account their point production from the games they played this year, Bailey is on pace for 52 points while Eberle is on a 57 point pace over 82 games.

If you want to get into their value per point it’s actually nearly identical, it’s scary. The Islanders are paying $96,491 per point for Jordan Eberle at that pace and $96,154 per point for Josh Bailey. That’s a .3 percent difference.

While realizing both players give you near identical value for their price, who would fetch more in a trade? Operating under the assumption that Jordan Eberle waives his NTC.

Who gets more in a trade?

Looking at age, which is fairly important when looking at these trades, Jordan Eberle is one year younger than Josh Bailey. This is Bailey’s age 30 season, signed through his age 34 season. While Eberle is 29 signed through his age 33 season.

Eberle gets the slight edge in age. While looking at points, Eberle has him beat this year on pace over 82 games, he loses out to him the three years prior with a combined 147 points from 2016-2017 through 2018-2019. Bailey on the other hand, has 183 points over that same three year period.

It’s not always about points though, teams are often looking for goal scorers and there’s no question that Eberle is the better goal scorer. Using that same three-year window, Eberle had 64 goals to Bailey’s 47.

When you factor cost, age, point production, and goal-scoring ability, it’s very close but the edge would have to go to Jordan Eberle here. Yes, he’s $500,000 more expensive against the cap and will cost you just a touch more in price per point his age and goal-scoring ability gives him a slight edge.

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Both are very good second-line players, but Eberle is probably a touch more valuable. It would be harder to move him because you have to get Eberle to waive his NTC but if Lou was looking to move one of the two, moving Jordan Eberle would get a bigger return.