Islanders old friend Peter Chiarelli being considered for Panthers GM job

The Florida Panthers have a GM vacancy and are said to be interested in New York Islanders old friend Peter Chiarelli.

After the New York Islanders eliminated the Florida Panthers in four-games from the qualifying round, the Panthers fired long-time GM Dale Tallon. The search for a new GM was immediately initiated by the Panthers.

On Saturday, it was reported that the Panthers had an interest in NBCSN analyst Eddie Olczyk but were also interested in former Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli.

Both Olczyk and Chiarelli could be a finalist for the job according to NY Post reports. For some reason, the NHL is deadset on finding Peter Chiarelli another job. Much to the joy of New York Islanders fans.

Since 2007 the New York Islanders have found incredible success in dealing with the former Bruins and Oilers GM. Here’s a history of trades between the Islanders and Chiarelli including what the Isles gave up and what the Isles got out of it:

Boston Bruins GM

Sept 11, 2007: Ben Walter, 2009 2nd for Petteri Nokelainen

Nokelainen wasn’t the same after his knee injury, getting a second-round pick and a prospect was a good haul. The Isles used that 2009 second-rounder in a trade with Columbus to get a third and fourth-round pick in 2009. Picks they used for Anders Nilsson and Casey Cizikas.

Oct 4, 2014: 2015 2nd, 2016 2nd, 2015 conditional 3rd for Johnny Boychuk

The picks the Islanders forfeited turned into Brandon Carlo and Ryan Lindgren. The Bruins didn’t get that conditional third-rounder. The Boston would only get that third-round pick if Boychuk was traded to another Eastern Conference team before the end of the season.

Johnny Boychuk has been a leader on the Islanders blue line ever since they acquired him in 2014 from the Bruins. He, along with Nick Leddy who was acquired on the same day from the Chicago Blackhawks gave the Isles blueline legitimacy for the first time in years.

Edmonton Oilers GM

June 26, 2015: Griffin Reinhart for 2015 1st (16 OVR), 2015 2nd

With Connor McDavid in the fold, the Oilers needed help defensively. Chiarelli thought he got a good one with Reinhart who was a fourth overall pick just three years prior. With, what he thought could be a top pair guy, Chiarelli gave up the 16th overall pick in 2015 and the 33rd overall pick.

With that 16th overall pick in 2015, the Islanders selected Mathew Barzal. Isles GM Garth Snow would package that 33rd overall pick and the 72nd overall pick for Tampa’s 28th overall pick where he drafted Anthony Beauvillier.

Barzal and Beau have combined for 520 NHL games and 334 points. Reinhart played 29 games for the Oilers before being drafted in the Vegas expansion draft.

June 22, 2017: Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome

Things just weren’t working out with Ryan Strome. The former fifth overall pick at the 2011 draft just wasn’t the player the Islanders thought they were drafting. Outside of a 50 point sophomore year, Strome was at best a middle-six player. The Islanders needed top-six players.

The Isles found one in Edmonton. In a one-for-one swap, the Islanders acquired Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome.

Since the trade, Eberle has played 217 games for the Islanders scoring 136 points. Strome played 100 games for the Oilers putting up 36 points before they traded him to the Rangers for Ryan Spooner who was last played in the Swiss A-league.

Summation

In 12 years of trades with Peter Chiarelli, the Islanders have been able to pry: Casey Cizikas, Johnny Boychuk, Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, and Jordan Eberle.

That’s the face of the franchise in Barzal, a top-line winger in Eberle, a top-six winger in Beauvillier (maybe more), the beating heart of the team in Casey Cizikas, and what was a legit top pair defender for years in Johnny Boychuk.

With that type of return, it’s easy to see why Islanders fans might be excited at the prospect of Peter Chiarelli sitting at the helm of a retooling Florida Panthers team.

To be perfectly fair, all of those trades were done when Garth Snow was at the helm of the Isles. As far as I can tell, Lou Lamoriello and Peter Chiarelli have yet to make a trade.

But Garth is still kicking around in some capacity. Getting him on the phone the minute Chiarelli is hired seems like it would be a prudent strategy for the Isles.