Islanders top 2022 offseason trade targets

Vince Dunn - Seattle Kraken

Why Him?

Why not is the real question? Why not try and bring in Vince Dunn? The Islanders need a puck-moving defenseman that can add some offense. Isn't that precisely what Vince Dunn brings to the table? He may not be one of the premier "puck movers" in the NHL, but he's got the required skill set to fill that void for the Isles.

Note: Jakob Chychrun isn't one of the premier puck movers either. In a study done back in November, the Athletic's Harman Dayal and Dom Luszczyszyn looked at the top 25 puck movers and neither made the list (subscription required).

We know Dunn moves the puck well. When it comes to offense, Dunn put up 35 points in 73 games this year. That's a pace of 40 points on the year. That's not Chychrun pace but a 40-point defenseman is something the Islanders can absolutely use on the blue line.

And think about it. If Chychrun will require three pieces to acquire then Dunn will undoubtedly require less to pull in.

That's why I look at Dunn over Chychrun. Dunn isn't quite as young (he turns 26 in October) and he isn't as productive as Chychrun, but he's the type of player the Isles are looking for. He fills what the Isles need and they can (probably) get him for much cheaper.

Can they make it work?

I don't see why the Islanders can't make it work. But I added a "probably" in that previous paragraph because I'm not sure if Seattle is willing to part with Vince Dunn.

I can't imagine why they wouldn't want to move him. They aren't exactly competitive at the moment and if they can pull something valuable from the Isles for him why not move him?