Would Lou Lamoriello and the NY Islanders Trade the Captain?

The 2024-25 NHL season has not been as planned for the New York Islanders and their front office thus far. Lou Lamoriello has been on the hot seat with the fanbase for some time now, and sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference has put a target on the backs of players and coaches. The trade deadline is two months away, and the rumors will only get louder in the following weeks.

Naturally, the players who do not have contracts past this spring are the first mentioned in trade rumors. Still, with the Islanders having a veteran-heavy lineup, every player is at stake of being moved in favor of a rebuild of the franchise. Other than Ilya Sorokin and Mat Barzal, this roster could use a change of scenery and for some, fast!

Could the NY Islanders trade Anders Lee

Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri will get the most attention in the coming weeks but a player that could hit the market is the captain, Anders Lee. Lee is having a great season, almost surpassing his statistics from a season ago. Additionally, the captain is on pace to finish his fifth 50-point season. Currently having 18 goals and 32 points before he plays his 800th NHL game, Lee has chosen a good season to remind the NHL of how he is capable of playing. His game would help any contender in a long series.

Lou has not shown much "out of the box" thinking since his arrival on the Island and trading your captain away does not seem like something that Lou would condone. But this team is inching closer and closer to needing a large change in personnel and it would behoove the franchise to get out from under the Lee contract while he is producing at this pace.

The 34-year-old forward has one more year remaining on his contract after this season with a salary cap hit is $7 million each season. It was a steep price to pay for the heart of the team, but it made a lot of sense at the time. With just one year left on this deal, a trade partner would not have to take on a long-term burden in Lee's contract but would more than likely ask for Lou to eat some of the remaining contracts. If taking on some salary means a better prospect or draft pick then it should not be a problem. This franchise needs an infusion of young, talented players.

The movement of the former Notre Dame star would assist Lou or another general manager in taking care of the restricted free agents this summer, starting with Noah Dobson and Maxim Tsyplakov. Trading Lee would almost guarantee that Nelson and Palmieri are shipped out as well, creating further assets and salary cap room for the franchise heading into the summer.

In this day and age, it would not be out of the norm to see a player like Lee come back to Long Island after his final year if he were to be traded. The player he is now would not demand such a similar salary and term in less than two years. But this franchise would hopefully be reloaded by that time and moving in the right direction.