Don’t Expect the NY Islanders to Trade for These Three Players

#3: Pavel Buchnevich

The Hockey News reported that Buchnevich was a hot commodity during last year’s trade deadline. According to reports, the St. Louis Blues got calls from numerous teams inquiring about Buchnevich’s availability.

But as we know, the Blues did not move Buchnevich at the deadline. But just because the Blues didn’t move Buchnevich at the deadline, it doesn’t mean the team won’t trade him anyway. In fact, trade possibilities could increase, especially if the Blues fall into some type of rebuild.

If Buchnevich is officially on the market, he could be an enticing option for the Isles. He could play on the second line with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. That combination would give the New York Islanders the depth scoring the team needs to stay in contention in the Metro Division.

However, Buchnevich comes with an $8 million cap hit, according to PuckPedia. That makes him a pricey proposition. While the Blues could retain some of that cap hit, the fact is that Buchnevich’s price may be too steep for the Isles to pay at this time.

While Lamoriello may do his due diligence on Buchnevich, the chances of the Islanders trading for the Russian winger are slim. There’s little chance the club would like to take on a massive deal at this point. Moreover, the price tag the Blues may want to attach to Buchnevich may be too high for the Isles’ liking.

Ultimately, we can cross Buchnevich off the Islanders’ trade list unless the price comes down significantly or if the Isles can find a way to slide his cap hit in for the next four seasons. $8 million per season would be better allocated to signing Noah Dobson to a long-term deal or acquiring two or three additional depth pieces to complement the roster.