Islanders extend two pending UFAs after trade deadline

The trade deadline came and went with the New York Islanders not making a single trade. Although according to GM Lou Lamoriello there was plenty of interest.

The only piece of business the Islanders did complete was extending pending UFAs Zach Parise and Cal Clutterbuck. According to the team, Parise inked a one-year extension while Clutterbuck's is for another two years.

So what does that mean exactly?

New York Islanders extend Parise and Clutterbuck

Clearly, the market wasn't going to yield the return Lou Lamoriello wanted for either player. There was interest in both players. Apparently, there was a lot of interest for Cal Clutterbuck, but, again, the Isles couldn't get what they wanted. Which is quite odd considering the laws of economics. As the demand rises so should the price.

What the Isles wanted in return for Cal is unknown and will likely never be known, but the fact that Cal was immediately extended after the deadline to a two-year deal (with a reported $1.75 million cap hit) tells you the price would have been high.

Lou Lamoriello needed an offer he couldn't refuse and clearly didn't get one. With 15 points on the year, Cal is about as effective (productivity-wise) as you should expect for a 34-year-old fourth-liner. He, and his entire line, still bring energy and still plays low-event hockey the Islanders love.

The same goes for Zach Parise. We already know that he wanted to stay past this season. He stated as much not long ago. The feeling was mutual from fans as well. Parise has been one of, if not the most consistent player on the team the entire season.

Keeping him as a depth option next season was an easy decision if the market didn't give Lou what he wanted as was the case.

With 24 points in 60 games, Parise isn't having the same impact on the scoresheet he once had, but he's still a good bottom-six player in this lineup.

Disappointing still?

The lack of trades is still a disappointment. The Isles weren't about to pull in a piece they need (top-line winger or top-4 D). But they also didn't capitalize on the market to bring in assets to help them bring in those pieces either. And that's quite disappointing. It seems that Lou's valuations might be a bit too high.

With the lack of activity at the trade deadline (in terms of acquiring assets), we'll have to see if the Isles use the offseason to conduct this type of business.