Islanders Need a New Plan A to Upgrade Roster

Timo Meier

Now we have to start thinking outside of the box like Lamoriello did when he acquired Alexander Romanov. The San Jose Sharks may have already started tearing it down with new GM Mike Grier at the helm. On Wednesday, Grier sent defenseman Brent Burns and Lane Pederson to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Steven Lorentz, goalie prospect Eetu Makiniemi and a conditional 2023 3rd-round pick. The Sharks are retaining 33 percent of Burns' contract over the next three seasons.

It's a curious move trading your top pairing defenseman, especially because the Sharks just extended Tomas Hertl long-term back in March. The remaining impact players on the Sharks appear to be Hertl, Logan Couture, Erik Karlsson, and Timo Meier. One of those players is not like the others. Meier stands out as the most valuable guy of the trio while also being the youngest. The 25-year-old winger is coming off an excellent 35-goal, 41 assist season. He has one year remaining on his contract that carries a $6 million AAV before he becomes a restricted free agent next summer. The multi-30-goal scorer can play both wings and would certainly slot in well with a playmaker like Barzal.

Again, it's going to cost a lot to acquire a guy like Meier. However, the Islanders and Lamoriello aren't in a position to settle for mediocracy this season. Much like Romanov, Meier is an off-the-board candidate for Lamoriello to acquire that fits in with what the core should be moving forward extending the Islanders' win-now window. If Grier is willing to dance, Lamoriello should salsa.