3 early Islanders trade targets after 2025 playoff elimination

The Islanders were outside of the playoffs when the NHL trade deadline came around, but fresh off a seven-game winning streak. They still traded Nelson for a king’s ransom, a 2026 first-round pick, and prospect Calum Ritchie. Lamoriello said they had to get younger, and the 20-year-old Ritchie fits that bill. He is a highly touted center who could easily replace Pageau in the lineup.

The Islanders had Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat playing on the same line this year. But they need to get deeper, and an easy way to get faster is splitting up Barzal and Horvat. Casey Cizikas is still under contract, but would not bring back the same return as Pageau. A center who kills penalties and is elite in the face-off circle is impossible to find on the free-agent market. Pageau can be that guy for a contending team.

The Columbus Blue Jackets surprised many fans by challenging for the playoffs after the unthinkable loss of Johnny Gaudreau. Center depth ended up catching up to them at the end, making Pageau a natural fit. The Montreal Canadiens can bring the Quebec native home, or Barry Trotz can reunite with an old friend in Nashville.

It is time to move Noah Dobson

Lamoriello’s first moves as Islanders general manager were drafting Oliver Wahlstrom and Noah Dobson in the first round in 2018. Wahlstrom was a disaster, playing only 220 games over six seasons and ending up on waivers this season. Dobson was deployed as the top defenseman this year, but did not have a great season this year.

The Islanders had the worst power play in the league before Dobson got hurt. They then signed Tony DeAngelo, who showed what an offensive defenseman could do with this team. Dobson is expendable if the Islanders re-sign DeAngelo this summer. They should move on from him before the rest of the league realizes he is not a good defender.

The Vancouver Canucks need defenseman who cal hold their own when Quinn Hughes is not on the ice. Dobson could be that guy playing second-pair minutes. The Islanders-Jets connection has been made, as they have forward Gabe Vilardi hitting restricted free agency. Flipping those players would help both sides.

The Islanders need to dump another defenseman

Dobson is not the only defenseman that the Islanders need to trade this offseason. He is a restricted free agent at the end of this season, so moving on from him would not free up salary. Dumping either Ryan Pulock, Scott Mayfield, or Adam Pelech would free up space both on the blue line and on the cap sheet. They all have trade protection and large contracts that will be difficult to move.

Mayfield has the lowest cap hit of the group, at just $3 million. His full no-trade clause does not end on July 1, however. Adam Pelech’s no-trade clause is the only one of these three that downgrades into a modified clause. He will be able to submit a 16-team no-trade list on July 1. That makes Pelech the most likely to be moved.

The Islanders’ defense was atrocious this year, which could be the fault of the coaching. Patrick Roy has not been able to hire his own assistants since becoming the head coach. That is an issue that needs to be solved, but the defensive personnel needs to change, too. Any of these three players could be on the move, and it would help the Islanders.