Islanders Rumors: Darche reportedly kicking the tires on 2 big names

The New York Islanders’ current roster strategy has been highlighted by savvy moves. There haven’t been any mind-shocking moves, not due to incompetence, but by design.

GM Mathieu Darche has pulled off one of the best retools on the fly, taking the Islanders from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to a top-three spot in the Metro Division.

That said, the Islanders’ prudent approach hasn’t precluded Darche from kicking the tires on some major names out there.

As initially reported by Stefan Rosner and backed up by David Pagnotta, the Isles have been checking in with the St. Louis Blues about the price tags on forwards Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas.

Kyrou’s name should surprise no one. He’s been on the block for the better part of two seasons. In fact, there were reports that the Blues had a deal in place for Kyrou last summer. However, the 27-year-old won’t waive his no-trade clause.

As for Thomas, the price tag is said to be astronomical. From the chatter, the Blues would likely want Matthew Schaefer plus first-round picks in return for Thomas. Needless to say, that’s way too high.

It’s still encouraging to hear chatter about the Islanders chasing big names. It’s a sign that the tide has turned for the organization and management is willing to take a big swing to get the Isles over the hump.

Islanders would do well to avoid overpaying

While the temptation would certainly be there to make a splash, the Islanders would do well to avoid overpaying. The last thing the club needs right now is to splurge on a big name by committing several key pieces.

Now, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with landing Thomas. He would be the sort of top-six center that could take the pressure off Bo Horvat. However, it would be a risky move, nonetheless.

As for Kyrou, he’s been trending downward the last couple of seasons. That’s why it wouldn’t be surprising to see teams balk at the asking price. Since the Blues don’t look prepared to come down, it would make sense to circle back to Kyrou in the offseason.

This conversation is purely speculative, of course, since both players have no-trade clauses. As such, Thomas or Kyrou would have to be willing to agree to a deal.

It’s not unreasonable to think that the Islanders would entice either star to waive their respective no-trade clauses. But you would have to think that going for broke at this point might not make the most sense. The Isles could just wait out the market and see who blinks first.