Trading down in the NHL Draft would the absolute worst move for the Islanders

While it doesn’t seem like the New York Islanders will trade down in the 2025 NHL Draft, there’s always a possibility they’re throwing a giant smokescreen. And why not? Why reveal your hand? Hey, you need to, in a manner of speaking, be a good poker player this time of the year, especially if you have the first overall pick. 

But you can’t, by any means, trade that pick. And I get it, the Isles aren’t your typical ‘worst team in the league picking No. 1 overall.’ They weren’t a good team last year, but they’re light years ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, and Nashville Predators. That said, they’d be more likely to trade the top pick than your typical cellar dwellers.

But why would you? You have three prospects who could easily slide in as the top pick toward the end of the month, and you’ll get, at worst, a solid return. More likely, you drafted a franchise player for a team that’s good enough to turn things around and contend for the postseason in 2025-26, or in 2026-27 at the latest. 

New York Islanders are in too good of a spot to trade the top pick

Sure, it could be tempting, especially if a team like the Buffalo Sabres, for example, comes along, ready to hand you Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, to throw a couple of names out there. It’s just one example, but neither Tuch nor Byram have franchise player potential in the same way as Michael Misa or Matthew Schaefer. 

Neither Tuch nor Byram are anything more than solid players in this league. They’re good to have on a team built around a superstar, but the Isles don’t have a superstar. They have a lot of good players, but they lack a franchise centerpiece. 

And you can apply the same for so many teams here - the Penguins, Red Wings, Utah Mammoth, and you’ll still have good solid, but unspectacular returns. That might help you in the short term, but it won’t do much long term, except to relive the Lou Lamoriello era. 

Islanders general manager Matheiu Darche needs to make the right decision

Listen, I will let you know my complaints if Mathieu Darche takes either Matthew Schaefer or James Hagens over Michael Misa. I don’t mind Schaefer, but Misa’s the better option for a team that just can’t figure out how to score unless they have a versatile, brewing superstar on their first line. 

But I will say this: At least Darche didn’t trade the pick and sacrifice drafting a probable superstar just to collect a couple of good, but probably not great, players, So, there’s only one ‘really bad decision’ he can make on draft night: pawning the top pick. If he does that, expect backlash and lost trust in the process. 

Yet, if and when he makes the right decision and takes a potential game-changer, I’ll applaud him, even if I’ll have some criticisms if he rolls with either Schaefer or Hagens.

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