Now is not the time for Islanders to target rentals

The New York Islanders are sort of in limbo heading into the Olympic roster freeze. The Isles pulled off two solid depth deals in landing Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat. The moves have paid off immediately, particularly when considering Mathieu Darche landed both players at a profit.

That said, it’s reasonable to assume the Islanders are not done at the deadline. They will likely be looking to add at the NHL trade deadline. But as The Athletic’s Shayna Goldman warned, now is not the time for the Islanders to target rentals.

Sure, someone like Artemi Panarin landing in Long Island would hardly be something bad. But the Isles are not in a position to negotiate key futures for short-term fixes.

“The Islanders are in such an interesting position because they’ve exceeded expectations but are still retooling. So despite this season’s success, it really doesn’t make sense to go all in on rentals.”

Goldman made the point of targeting veterans with term or an RFA who will remain under team control beyond this season.

Such trades are out there. Goldman named Jordan Kyrou as one example. But there are others out there who could fit the bill. The key for the Isles will be to upgrade the roster at every position.

Islanders should target just about every position

The two most recent deals are proof that the Islanders are looking for help everywhere they can find it. Carson Soucy was a solid addition on the blue line. Similarly, Palat is a decent depth forward who can find the back of the net at some point.

Likewise, the Islanders could use another depth center, a middle-six winger, and potentially another depth bottom-six forward. Another depth blueliner, a guy who could be a seventh or eighth defenseman, wouldn’t hurt.

That shopping list may be a bit long. But landing at least a couple of those pieces would go a long way in the postseason. Most importantly, the Islanders should focus on maximizing their moves by looking at long-term fits.

As for who the Islanders could target, that’s another story. It all depends on what other teams are selling at the deadline. The St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks seem like the likeliest targets.

Other Eastern Conference clubs like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets could be the next in line to become sellers. While the Isles may not get anything done before Wednesday’s 3 pm EST deadline, there’s certainly a chance the club will be active in discussions during the Olympics. It wouldn’t be surprising to hear news of handshake deals during the NHL’s hiatus.