This is the worst thing New York Islanders can do at trade deadline

The worst thing the New York Islanders can do at this year’s March 7 trade deadline is nothing. One way or another, whether it’s buying or selling, the worst thing the Islanders can do is sit on their hands at the trade deadline.

Yes, I get Isles GM Lou Lamoriello’s approach. If I was in his position, I’d be just as conservative. I would avoid making huge deals on impending free agents like Mikko Rantanen. Opposing teams would need the Jaws of Life to pry my first-round pick away from me.

But there has to come a time in which a team must determine which direction is headed. That decision has to come this week. With the Islanders’ 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Monday night, it seems the Isles are unlikely to make the playoffs this year.

Now, I don’t want to be a party pooper. I still hope this team can make it. But the likelihood of making up five points in 22 games may be too much for the Isles to overcome this season. So, why not take this opportunity to shake things up a little bit and retool for next season?

This season has been regrettable due to the ridiculously high number of injuries. As we speak, Mathew Barzal is on LTIR. So is Semyon Varlamov. Patrick Roy is going to ride Ilya Sorokin till the wheels fall off.

Thus, this trade deadline should be about the Islanders prioritizing depth to help alleviate the loss of such key players. But we can’t know for sure what Lamoriello is up to unless he tells us. Therein lies the problem.

The New York Islanders must do something at this year’s trade deadline

Let’s look at the two paths the Islanders could take at this year’s trade deadline: Buying or selling.

If the Islanders choose to be buyers, they’ll need depth pieces to bolster the team’s scoring. That could mean adding another top-six forward, hopefully, and another serviceable top-four blueliner. Plus, adding a third-string goalie wouldn’t hurt.

What the price of all of that would look like is unclear. There aren’t too many top-six forwards available in the market. The ones that are available won’t come cheap. For instance, the Philadelphia Flyers are said to want a first-round pick for Scott Laughton. The St. Louis Blues reportedly want a king’s ransom for Brayden Schenn.

So, it would make sense for Lamoriello to hold off buying as the prices may be too expensive for the Islanders’ liking.

Then, there’s selling. Aside from Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson, the Islanders don’t have impending free agents to unload. Plus, they don’t have veterans to move unless the Isles were willing to part with Anders Lee or Scott Mayfield.

The fact is that selling unless it’s Nelson or Palmieri, doesn’t make a ton of sense at this point. Still, a couple of good moves could land the Islanders valuable pieces to retool. For instance, trading Nelson could land a couple of prospects and draft picks which could utilized in another trade.

Ultimately, the Islanders must do something, buy or sell, to set the team up for long-term success.