The NY Islanders could bring in one of their former defensemen for nothing

Since Alexander Romanov went down with what will likely be a season-ending injury, the NY Islanders have had a revolving door around their sixth defenseman. We've seen Adam Boqvist, Travis Mitchell, Marshall Warren, and Cole McWard on a rotating basis, but none have been able to stick night in and night out.

Today, the San Jose Sharks placed Nick Leddy, the former Islanders defenseman, on waivers. Signing a one-year deal in San Jose worth $4M, Leddy has had a tough go of it, playing just 16 games and registering four assists.

If Mathieu Darche finds it to be the right player at the right time, the Islanders could add the 34-year-old Leddy for nothing.

The biggest concern is Leddy's cap hit. Though it's not high at $4M, the Islanders are pressed against the cap ceiling. They could utilize their LTIR space, but that would prevent them from accruing any further cap space before the trade deadline.

Darche, like most other GMs, may be waiting to see if Leddy passes through waivers unclaimed, allowing a trade to be worked out between the two sides, which wouldn't cost the Isles much, with salary retained by the Sharks.

Isaiah George, who has fought the injury bug this season, could be looked at as more of a steady option on the Islanders' blue if and when he is called up from Bridgeport. Playing 33 games with the Islanders last season, George played at a higher level than most expected, earning his spot in the lineup every night, scoring once and adding four assists.

Even with George, if the Islanders could work out a trade for Leddy, it would be another familiar face in the locker room and could act as a serviceable seventh defenseman.

Leddy played 518 games for the Islanders, recording 45 goals and 198 assists. The acquisition of Leddy, along with Johnny Boychuk in 2014, helped reshape the organization before being dealt to the Detroit Red Wings for a second-round pick in 2021.