Does this potential landing spot for Matthew Barzal make sense for NY Islanders

Ever since the Ottawa Citizen reported that the New York Islanders were shopping Matthew Barzal, many potential trades have been proposed. With the upcoming free agent class being relatively weak, especially with forwards, teams are going to need to rely on trades to improve their forward corps. If the reports are true that Barzal is on the block, the Islanders should be able to create a bidding war and get a big return for him.

One potential bidder proposed is the Montreal Canadiens. Michael DeRosa of The Hockey Writers recently wrote about how Barzal could be the difference-maker in the Canadiens lineup. He will be someone they could slide into their top six and power play, helping put the Canadiens over the hump. But just because this deal works for the Canadiens does not mean it works for the Islanders.

The Canadians are not the right trading partner for the Islanders

The Islanders appear to be closer to making the playoffs than originally thought. Although they missed the playoffs, they were in contention for the whole season. Something unimaginable at the start. With the amount of talent on the roster, the Islanders can easily contend for a spot again next season. If they can fill some of the holes on the roster, they should be one of the favorites to come out of the Metro.

That's why any trade involving Barzal has to bring in NHL-ready guys. Players the Islanders can plug into their lineup and make an impact from day one. Sure, they won't only get players in a deal; part of the reason is to shed salary, and getting draft picks will help with that. But if the Isles can land one or two young NHL-ready players, it is something they should consider doing. It is the only way that trading Barzal makes sense right now.

This is something the Canadiens do not have. All the big-time young players that the Islanders would want for Barzal are key contributors for the Canadiens. They are unlikely to move a key piece, even given how good Barzal is. Sure, Jayden Struble is interesting, but with how many promising defensive prospects the Islanders have, do they really want to bring in another young defenseman? The only guy who would be valuable is Zack Bolduc, but his numbers dipped this past season.

Plus, all the NHL-ready prospects have very limited experience in the NHL. Sure, the likes of Owen Beck and Florian Xhekaj have promise, but they have not been able to translate that to the NHL. There is also no guarantee they will ever live up to that potential. These are question-mark players the Islanders do not need right now. Trading Barzal for players like that is something a rebuilding team does. Not a team with a chance at making the playoffs.

While the Canadiens would love to acquire a player like Barzal, they just do not have the assets the Isles want. If the Islanders do want to trade Barzal and are shopping him, there are better teams they can trade with.

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