The NY Islanders could look to bolster the bottom-6 by acquiring this Chicago Blackhawks veteran

The NY Islanders have been red hot of late, winning five straight and never seeming to be out of the game when trailing. They've created some space in terms of playoff positioning, currently six games up on the Washington Capitals and nine on the Columbus Blue Jackets. With 21 games remaining in the season, a top-6 forward is the biggest need, but bolstering the bottom-6 could also be an option.

The Chicago Blackhawks are 10 points out of the playoffs as things stand, and will likely miss the postseason for the sixth straight season, making them sellers between now and Friday.

The Isles should turn to Nick Foligno to bolster the bottom-6

At 38 years old, Nick Foligno is on the tail-end of his career, failing to reach the Conference Finals in any of his 19 seasons. So could the Islanders become an option for the veteran before the deadline?

Foligno, a Captain with the Blue Jackets and the Blackhawks in his career, knows his role at this point. He could fit in on the Islanders' fourth line alongside Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb, serving as an upgrade to Kyle MacLean. Through 36 games this season, Foligno has recorded three goals and eight assists, opposed to MacLean's two goals and four assists through 45 games, making him an offensive upgrade.

With leaders already in the locker room like Anders Lee and Bo Horvat, an addition like Foligno would add more leadership as one of the most respected players in the league.

Then there is the relationship between Foligno and Matthew Schaefer. Like Schaefer, Foligno lost his mother in 2009 and has been supportive of Schaefer since he entered the league.

“They’re amazing guys to have in your corner," Schaefer said of the Foligno brothers. "They’ve been texting me a lot over the phone. When I was going through everything, they were some of the first people to reach out. They’ve been by my side through it all. If I ever needed advice or to talk to them at all, they were there.”

The Islanders are an exciting team at this moment and could be a team Foligno wants to end his career with. He is in the final year of his contract, coming with an AAV of $4.5M. The Islanders could sweeten the deal, perhaps a middle-round pick, and have the Blackhawks retain salary in a deal that still wouldn't cost the Isles much