The New York Islanders could be biding their time for a big move

The quiet offseason by the New York Islanders this summer could be an indication that the club is biding its time for a big deal to come along.

In particular, I’m looking at the Calgary Flames and winger Jonathan Huberdeau.

A few posts ago, I explored the possibility of Nazem Kadri hitting The Island. Kadri is a great player on a team heading full steam ahead toward a rebuild. The same goes for Huberdeau.

Huberdeau joined the Flames in 2022 as the main return for Matthew Tkachuk. Huberdeau was coming off a 115-point season with the Florida Panthers and looked poised to become a superstar in Calgary.

The Flames inked Huberdeau to an eight-year, $84 million deal in 2023. Unfortunately, Huberdeau has hardly lived up to that deal. My contention is that Huberdeau never got on track in Calgary. So, a fresh start could be just what he needs to get back to his former 100-point self.

Enter the New York Islanders.

Lou Lamoriello could be biding his time until the Flames throw their hands up and officially give up on this season. The club already sold off key veterans like Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov, and Jacob Markstrom.

So, what’s keeping the Flames from dealing Kadri and Huberdeau?

The fact of the matter is that a rebuilding team has no need for a winger making $10.5 million per season for the next seven years. But if a good deal came along, the Flames might be enticed to move Huberdeau.

The cost the New York Islanders would have to pay to get Jonathan Huberdeau

Trading Huberdeau at this point would be a mistake for the Flames. His value is at its lowest point. He’s coming off a 50-point season and is now several seasons removed from his last, big year. As such, the Flames would realistically be looking to get a couple of mid-round picks and a young player.

In that scenario, the Isles could easily part with a third and fourth-round pick. Plus, throwing in a player like Oliver Wahlstrom or Simon Holmstrom could get the needle moving. Judging from the Markstrom deal, the Flames don’t have an astronomical asking price.

Perhaps the most important thing for Calgary is just getting Huberdeau’s contract off their hands.

Now, that would be the sticking point. There’s no way the Isles can take on the full $10.5 million cap hit unless the club clears significant space. As such, the Flames could likely need to retain at least 50% of Huberdeau’s deal.

If that’s the case, the asking price might be a bit higher. However, the New York Islanders would be foolish to part with a first-round pick in this situation.

Of course, there’s no indication that the Flames are ready to part with Huberdeau just yet. Perhaps the Flames hope Huberdeau has a good camp and a solid start to the season, then they can explore a trade when the asking price rises.

Given Lamoriello’s penchant for big, under-the-radar moves, there could be something brewing that we just don’t know about.