3 Islanders players who don't deserve to be with the team in November

As the season steamrolls closer to November, there will be more player movement around the NHL, and a team that could be retooling like the New York Islanders may find themselves involved in some of those transactions.

The Islanders' 2025-26 season can still go either way, but if they're thinking about the long game, then there are a few players they should consider moving right now. Who should they send elsewhere, and what's the logic behind it? There may be a surprise or two waiting.

Adam Boqvist

Adam Boqvist has tried fitting in with so many teams, but he's yet to find a place where he can thrive. In New York, Boqvist has been, at best, a seventh defenseman, and he didn't play that role well when he first came to Long Island in 2024-25, when the Isles picked him up off waivers. 

Boqvist has, however, enjoyed a better start in 2025-26, which could lead a team looking to take a chance on a young defenseman willing to snag a flier and get him off the Islanders' hands. Through limited action, he's notched three blocks and a plus-2 across 13:36 of average total ice time, to go with a 15.8 on-ice shooting percentage and a 96.7 on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Small sample size, but Boqvist could finally be starting to come into his own. It doesn't look like he's getting that chance in Long Island, even if the games he has appeared in have all been wins.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Nobody should be going elsewhere sooner than Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and it's not because he's a bad fit with the Islanders or anything. Instead, he would warrant an incredible return if traded to a contender, and that gives him solid value.

He won't wow you with any aspect of his game, but contenders look for solid players who can insert themselves into a variety of roles, and that's what makes Pageau valuable to more top-heavy teams in the league who are capable of finishing around the top of the standings.

The Islanders don't have that kind of talent yet, but dishing Pageau elsewhere will get them one step closer. He may be a valuable player, but not so much for a team that still needs to get younger.

Anthony Duclair

Anthony Duclair has a full no-trade clause, but he would be happy to leave town and literally go anywhere else. Duclair still doesn't look like he's a good fit with the Isles with just three points and two goals across eight games, but he's still one of the league's most trusted journeymen who has looked stellar in previous stops.

In 2023-24, he put up 24 goals despite playing most of the year with the San Jose Sharks, and in 2021-22, he notched 31 with the Florida Panthers. Teams looking for more depth scoring will be interested in Duclair, and the Isles shouldn't hesitate to move him if someone comes calling. 

Only in his age-30 season and with a decent track record as a scorer, Duclair could warrant a solid return. And if the Isles are getting even a mid-round pick, then Mathieu Darche must make this trade happen.