It doesn't seem like all that long ago when the New York Islanders were legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. The franchise advanced to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and 2021, losing both times to a powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning squad that went on to capture two consecutive championships. The Isles could have won both of those series, especially the latter when they fell just short against the Bolts in a 1-0 Game 7 heartbreaker.
Fast forward a couple of offseasons and it's been tough sledding in Long Island. New York missed the next Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2022, and followed that up with back-to-back first-round losses at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. And the team hasn't really gotten much better since. The Isles haven't won a playoff series in three years, have only selected once in the first-round of the NHL Draft in the last five iterations (!) and haven't really made any trade or free agency splashes to rectify things. Yes, Anthony Duclair was a nice add by Lou Lamoriello and the front office this summer, but otherwise, things aren't looking great.
The Islanders don't have a strong prospect pool, but the defense and goaltending remain rock solid. That's especially true after Noah Dobson's breakout campaign and Ilya Sorokin's mostly consistently standout play between the pipes. But where New York really struggles — and this has been a problem for years — is scoring goals. And the forward core is aging, with all of Brock Nelson, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee on the wrong side of 30. Bo Horvat will be there in a year as well.
If the Islanders want to remain competitive, and not barrel towards the inevitable rebuild, they desperately need to add another couple of top-six forwards who can put the puck in the net. Here are three options the front office should be considering this offseason.
Nikolaj Ehlers is an obvious fit
Nikolaj Ehlers has played his entire career with the Winnipeg Jets, but various reports have surfaced alleging the speedy Danish forward will not re-sign in Manitoba when his contract expires next summer. For that reason, Jets' general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has been fielding calls on the 28-year-old. Better to move him than risk letting him walk for nothing at the conclusion of the 2024-25 campaign.
Enter the Islanders as a potentially terrific fit. Ehlers could immediately play beside Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat on the first line, and his $6 million cap hit is much more reasonable than a player like Mitch Marner (who was not included in this exercise despite significant rumors tying him to New York).
Ehlers is cheaper and has already scored 20 goals or more seven times in his nine National Hockey League campaigns. He potted 29 in 2017-18, and managed another 25 — along with 26 assists — over a full 82-game slate in 2023-24. And besides Tyler Toffoli, who is now a San Jose Shark, Ehlers had the highest Corsi-For percentage on the team at 54.68 percent.
The Dane is known for his speed and skill, which is something the Islanders would greatly covet. And he would immediately jump onto the top powerplay unit, and likely the first line with Barzal and Horvat, as mentioned. Last season was a bit of a renaissance after three straight injury shortened seasons, and Ehlers likely has even more to give once he gets a change of scenery.
Without a doubt, Ehlers is just what the Islanders need, and Lamoriello should be looking into it. But if they want to minimize risk and target a younger player without an injury history, there's another trade candidate who would make sense in New York.
Marco Rossi would inject Islanders with much-needed youth
Just 22-years-old and fresh off a breakout campaign, Marco Rossi has emerged into one of the Minnesota Wild's top trade chips. The former first-round pick could reportedly be moved by GM Bill Guerin this summer. After being scooped up by the Wild at No. 19 0verall in 2020, Rossi took some time to adjust but just put together a 21-goal, 40 points season in the State of Hockey.
Although the Isles are pretty set down the middle — with Horvat, Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau — none of those players are remotely young, and the infusion of Rossi could be a huge help both short and long-term. He could either be transitioned to the wing by head coach Patrick Roy, or potentially take Nelson's spot at 2C, allowing the veteran to move up to the top line himself.
Heading into 2024-25, the Islanders have just six players under 30, and two of them are Barzal and Horvat. That's extremely concerning for the future. This team absolutely has to get younger, and the Austrian also wouldn't break the bank; he has one more contract before becoming an RFA at a very reasonable $863,333 cap hit.
Although there's no guarantee that Guerin will part with Rossi this offseason, if there is even a chance Lamoriello can bring him to Long Island, he should try. With a bare prospect pool and an aging roster, getting younger on the trade market could be the only thing that keeps this team competitive over the next few years.
Could Martin Necas be the missing piece?
If Lamoriello really wants to swing for the fences, he could try to acquire Martin Necas from the Carolina Hurricanes. Necas' father has already made it clear that his son wants a change of scenery, primarily in the form of top-line minutes and powerplay time. Of course, there are about a dozen interested parties and the price would be the opposite of affordable.
Still, Necas would have no trouble getting into the Islanders' top-six, and would also likely be a fixture with the top PP group. Still young at just 25-years-old, and fresh off a 24-goal, 53-point campaign, he would immediately become one of New York's top players. Despite the cost, locking up a relatively young player on a team loaded with aging veterans might be a reasonable solution for the front office. Only time will tell.
It's only a matter of time before a rebuild will be necessary in New York; that's just the reality for a franchise lacking both a strong prospect pool and young difference-making players. But there's still enough talent here to contend, at least in the short-term, and bringing in a player like Ehlers, Rossi or Necas would signal that one of the better teams of the early 2020s can still hang around.
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