The New York Islanders have already been a busy team this offseason. General manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello re-signed Pierre Engvall , Scott Mayfield, and Semyon Varlamov , then extended goaltender Ilya Sorokin for eight years. After the wave of big signings, Lamoriello hinted during his media availability that he would be open to making a “hockey trade” or a deal that moves NHL-ready players for a star-caliber one.
The player that Lamoriello has been rumored to be targeting is Alex DeBrincat of the Ottawa Senators. DeBrincat scored 27 goals and 39 assists last year and has 187 goals and 186 assists in his career, proving that he is one of the best forwards in the game. With the Senators struggling to sign him to a long-term deal, a trade looks inevitable this summer.
The Islanders would have to put together a strong enough offer to acquire DeBrincat. The Senators will have a high asking price, so it will be interesting to see the players and draft selections that Lamoriello will have to move to acquire the star.
Islanders Must Trade Players With Term
The Senators are looking to add a player that they can have under contract for a few seasons. They have a roster built to compete next year with a handful of rising young and talented skaters and hope to add veteran players to propel them to the playoffs. Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, and Drake Batherson are leading the forward unit, while Thomas Chabot and Jakub Chychrun lead the defense, and the team only needs a few depth additions to become one of the best in the Eastern Conference.
The DeBrincat tenure was a grim reminder for the Senators of the risk of investing in rental additions. They acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks last offseason, but now, they must move a player who wants to leave the organization. As a result, they are hoping to have control over some of their star players not only to compete this year but for the upcoming seasons as well.
The Islanders have a handful of players with multiple years left on their contracts that they can move. Brock Nelson, who has two years left on his deal, is the skater that the Senators would ideally acquire, but he is untouchable. Nelson scored a team-high 36 goals last year, has 73 goals over the last two seasons, and is arguably the team’s best skater.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who was acquired from the Senators at the 2020 trade deadline, is an intriguing and likely option as he is a third-line center with three years left on his deal. That said, Lamoriello has been reluctant to trade centers in his tenure, especially a two-way player like Pageau. The other options are the fourth-line wingers, Cal Clutterbuck and Matt Martin, as both will play next season in contract years and are valuable depth additions.
If the Islanders move Pageau, he will only be part of a trade package. While he’s been an integral part of the team’s success, he isn’t playing at the same level as DeBrincat. However, he can be the main part of a blockbuster deal and help the Senators compete next year. Pageau started his career there, and it would be fitting if he could end his career playing a pivotal role in returning the team to contention.
Lamoreillo Will Have To Part With Draft Selections
In a blockbuster trade, the question will be whether the Senators will ask for a prospect or draft selections. Ideally, they would land a prospect, especially a skater like William Dufour, who could help them compete in the near future. The problem is that the Islanders’ prospect pool is one of the worst in the NHL, making Dufour an unlikely prospect for Lamoriello to trade. Instead, the Islanders will likely move one of their future draft selections as part of a deal.
When the Senators acquired DeBrincat from the Blackhawks, they gave up the seventh overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. One year later, the asking price won’t be that high, and it’s more likely the Islanders will move a selection in the middle rounds. A fourth-round selection might not seem like much, but it would give the Senators three selections in that round in the upcoming draft, which can particularly help them at the trade deadline as they’ll look to add to their win-now roster.
Lamoriello trading Pageau and a fourth-round selection can possibly be a good enough offer for DeBrincat. However, he’ll need to add a sweetener or a player that can sway the Senators to make the deal.
Wahlstrom As a Trade Chip
Oliver Wahlstrom has shown flashes in his first three seasons with the Islanders, specifically his speed and shot from the wing have been impressive. However, injuries have made him an unknown. He’s only scored 32 goals and 29 assists in 161 games and missed most of last season in a lower-body injury.
Wahstrom, like DeBrincat, is a restricted free agent (RFA) and has yet to sign a deal with the Islanders. Lamoriello has been active this summer, signing a handful of key players on the first day of free agency. He notably didn’t sign Wahlstrom to a new deal, and it could signal that he is looking to move him in a deal. The 23-year-old forward has a lot of upside, but he could be the player that gets dealt in a blockbuster trade, especially to acquire a player of DeBrincat’s caliber.
The Senators would love to add Wahlstrom to their top six. He’s a shooter that can open up the offense, and his speed can make him a great complementary piece to Stützle. Likewise, he can play alongside Josh Norris, who hopes to bounce back after missing last season with a shoulder injury, providing the team with two great shooters on the same line. There’s a lot of unknown when it comes to Wahlstrom, but his potential can make him an elite forward and another young skater to add to the Senators’ core.
Fitting DeBrincat Onto the Roster Long-Term
The first obstacle in Lamoriello’s path to acquiring DeBrincat is putting together a strong offer. However, the big challenge is finding a way to sign him to a long-term deal after making the trade. The Islanders have minimal salary cap room, and the top RFA on the market will look for a long-term deal in the $8 million per year range. The make things more difficult on the Islanders, the 2024-25 season is when Sorokin’s eight-year contract kicks in, giving the team minimal flexibility.
If the Islanders trade Pageau, it will give them $5 million per year to work with. In addition, Clutterbuck and Martin are free agents after next season, which gives Lamoriello some room to work with. That said, the Islanders would have to consider moving Nelson or Kyle Palmieri to another team to make space for DeBrincat’s contract.
If Lamoriello can pull off a trade, it would be a worthwhile long-term investment and, more importantly, add another star to the top six. DeBrincat is 25 years old and entering the prime of his career. He was known as a goal scorer with the Blackhawks, but last year, he showed that he is a versatile forward as he created scoring chances for his linemates throughout the year. Most importantly, he can adapt to the defense and beat opponents in a variety of ways, something the Islanders lacked last year in the playoffs, as they were eliminated in the First Round by the Carolina Hurricanes.
DeBrincat would likely play on the same line as Mathew Barzal, the team’s best skater and playmaker, forming a strong scoring connection. However, DeBrincat’s versatility could allow him to play on the Bo Horvat line and create scoring chances for the top-line center. Likewise, he could create scoring chances for Anders Lee and find open shots if he plays on the same line as Nelson if the Islanders can keep him after a lucrative contract is offered.
The Eastern Conference is going to be tough next year. The New Jersey Devils, led by a remarkable young core, continue to improve, and the Hurricanes remain the team to beat in the Metropolitan Divison with arguably the league’s best defensive unit. That said, a DeBrincat addition would make the Islanders’ offense much more potent than it was in 2022-23. After sneaking into the playoffs, they would suddenly look like a team that can find a more secure spot in the playoffs next season.
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