3 NY Islanders players who won’t return following the trade deadline

Even if the NY Islanders came out of the 4 Nations Face-Off and won some games, I would still endorse that they sell at the trade deadline. One reason is that this group has routinely proven in recent years that it can’t make a deep playoff run, so why even keep doing this?

It’s not a situation that’s similar to what you see in, say, Toronto, Canada, where the Maple Leafs are often one-and-done in the playoffs. The Leafs still have a strong core that can score on anyone, and they addressed many of their weaknesses efficiently during the offseason. 

That hasn’t been the case with the Islanders, and it serves as the basis for my argument that this team just needs to start selling. Sell some key assets, get some decent returns, and retool the core so they will, in time, start competing for more than just a first or second-round exit with less-than-inspiring regular-season play. 

The earlier general manager Lou Lamoriello realizes this, the better off the Isles will be. And no, in the short term, it won’t be a lot of fun to watch. But two, three, four years down the road? Yeah, selling now will be worth it if it means more inspiring play on Long Island. 

Anthony Duclair

Anthony Duclair is one of the NHL’s more well-respected journeymen, and while he seemed like a great asset for the Isles this season, that hasn’t exactly been the result. So far, injuries held Duclair back and he’s seen ice time in only 26 games this season, scoring four goals and eight points. 

With the Isles in sixth place right now in the Metro and outside the second wild card spot, there’s a chance general manager Lou Lamoriello will want to cut his losses with Duclair. But with his history as a sound depth scorer, it shouldn’t take him long to find a trading partner. 

Go back to this time last season and Duclair was busy putting up 16 goals for a San Jose Sharks team that had seen better days. After a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning near the deadline, Duclair saw action in another 17 regular season games and finished with eight goals heading into the playoffs. 

Isles fans were hoping to see that same 24-goal scorer here on Long Island this season, but it wasn’t meant to be. So, don’t be surprised when you see Duclair wearing yet another uniform as the NHL season enters its twilight phase.  

Noah Dobson

Oh yes, someone’s going all-in on Noah Dobson and Lou Lamoriello’s accepting that trade. While Dobson’s 2024-25 season hasn’t been a complete letdown, this was a blueliner who was supposed to score like a forward, and that never materialized. 

Now, Dobson has at least scratched the half-point-per-game mark, with 24 total and six goals through 46 games. But over the past three seasons, we’d seen him break the 49-point barrier and 10-plus goals, plus some of the best playmaking from blueliners in the entire 32-team league. 

Yeah, Dobson is young and just now heading into his prime, but with a stagnating Islanders team that seems like perpetual mediocrity has become their identity, turning over a new page is in the best interests for the player and the organization. That said, Dobson’s disappointing campaign will take a turn at some point before the deadline. 

If there’s any upside here, expect Lamoriello to be well-compensated in return. Dobson has already shown his superstar potential, and with the right team, he will take that potential up another degree. That’s where the phenomenal compensation comes in. 

Brock Nelson

Finally, we got Brock Nelson, who wasn’t revealing much when it came to whether he’d stick around on Long Island or end up elsewhere. While Nelson hasn’t exactly been a bad player in 2024-25, it’s hard to claim he’s been great, with 17 goals and 35 points in 55 contests, though he does have five game-winning goals. 

Nelson can also win more than his fair share of faceoff draws, where he’s snagged 53.2 percent of them and 447 overall. This means he’ll slide right in as a sound No. 2 center for a team that could use a little more help scoring and gaining initial puck possession. 

Physical play isn’t the name of Nelson’s game, so I can see him heading to a defense-heavy team and one that already has a solid bottom six. But, maybe they lack sound scoring on a nightly basis, which is where Nelson would come in. 

If Nelson doesn’t sound like it’s a shoo-in possibility that he’ll return to the Islanders, it likely indicates that a trade is imminent. Sometime after the 4 Nations Face-Off, look for a horde of teams to not just call, but offer Lamoriello some enticing compensations for the rights to acquire Nelson.