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Islanders: The case to sign forward Erik Haula for next season

By Kieran Hurley|
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Erik Haula #56 of the Florida Panthers warms up prior to the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at BB&T Center on February 27, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Erik Haula #56 of the Florida Panthers warms up prior to the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs at BB&T Center on February 27, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The New York Islanders are in the market for a goal scorer. There is a case for a forward the Islanders faced off against in the Qualifying Round.

One thing is for certain after the New York Islanders figure out their salary cap issues and re-sign Mathew Barzal, the Isles will be looking for a top-six forward. We have heard many names of interest, but there is one player who has an interesting case.

That player is

Erik Haula

. The dynamic forward is considered as one of the best forwards remaining in free agency, but should the Islanders go after him?

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Making the Case

Making a move for Haula could be somewhat of a gamble. The one thing that may separate him from the rest of the remaining free agents is that he may go for a cheaper deal compared to what the top goalscorers available (Mike Hoffman and Anthony Duclair) could get.

Haula showed what an impact player he could be during the 2017-2018 season with the Golden Knights. The twenty-nine-year-old had 29 goals and 26 assists. Since then, Haula has not had the best of luck.

Haula suffered a scary knee injury in the 2018-2019 season while playing with Vegas, which forced him to only play 15 games that season. Last year, he did again miss time with Carolina when he suffered an injury. He then was traded to Florida and finished the campaign with the Panthers.

In the past two seasons, Haula has amassed 14 goals and 17 assists in 63 games. Around the league, the former University of Minnesota standout is rated highly as a potential second or third-line player, who is effective on the powerplay.

The Islanders do need more goal scorers, but is Haula the answer that the blue and orange are looking for?

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It will be interesting to see what forwards Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders front office go after. There is obviously a case for Haula, but is it a smart move for the Isles? I am sure there will be plenty of disagreement about that.

Final Thoughts: Signing Haula is risky. Haula has not had the best of injury luck the past two years but has shown that he can put the puck in the net. If the Islanders can get a cheap deal then they should go for him. If not, stay away!

Isles Country: Do you think the Islanders should go after Erik Haula? Leave your comments below!

*All Stats Provided by the NHL*

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