The New York Islanders may lastly be on the right track underneath Basic Supervisor Lou Lamoriello. On March sixth, the day earlier than the NHL Commerce Deadline, he traded ahead Brock Nelson and William Dufour to the Colorado Avalanche for prospect Cal Ritchie, Oliver Kylington, a 2026 first-round decide, and a conditional third-round decide.
Commerce particulars, per #GoAvsGo:
To #GoAvsGo:
C Brock Nelson (50% retained)
F William DufourTo #isles:
F Cal Ritchie
D Oliver Kylington
2026 1st Spherical Choose
Cond. 2028 third Spherical ChooseWhat an absolute haul. Cal Ritchie is a can’t miss prospect.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) March 7, 2025
Though from the sounds of it, Lamoriello didn’t need to commerce Nelson, the Islanders GM has a historical past of setting costs for locations. He was infamous for that when he was the New Jersey Devils GM. Reports are that he offered Nelson, a three-year contract, originally reported by RG Media, round $7.5 million on the AVV. Indications are it may have increased. Nevertheless, Nelson felt he was value extra and thus Lamoriello despatched him to Colorado.
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As Lamoriello said, it’s a part of the enterprise. He’s all about making the staff higher, and there’s no loyalty.
“I can guarantee you that when it comes down to creating selections, it’s going to make the staff higher. There’s no sentiment concerned, although there’s, there’s no loyalty so far as in terms of the enterprise, act facet of it, and vice versa,” Lamoriello mentioned in press convention on Saturday. “So there’s, that’s why there’s no arduous emotions when a participant leaves. You would like him the perfect, however you must make these selections the perfect for you and your loved ones After which we’ve got to make no matter selections are greatest for the franchise.”
The haul he bought again for Nelson was excellent. Lamoriello discovered his contact no less than another time. He was capable of get a participant who will assist the way forward for the Islanders for an growing older participant who may nonetheless rating 30 objectives, however he felt he was value extra on his subsequent deal, so Lamoriello pulled the set off.
“Any of the groups we talked to , it needed to be their prime prospect,” Lamoriello mentioned. “And I really feel very lucky for the group that we had been capable of get the standard participant who performs that place and was capable of principally come proper into the lineup . And the explanation that he solely performed video games this yr is that they wished to avoid wasting the yr of the contract at an entry degree.”
As Lou Lamoriello said in his press convention, he was in search of a prime prospect for Nelson. So it begs the query, what may he have gotten for different gamers who had been obtainable on the deadline? Once more, he needs to get the staff youthful shifting ahead, so why solely dip a toe into the All-In water, in contrast to the Boston Bruins, who determined it was time to get youthful?
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Groups had been calling about Kyle Palmieri, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Scott Mayfield, and even Anders Lee. Lamoriello may have gotten comparable returns for a few of these gamers, particularly Palmieri, who may have helped groups with their scoring woes. Groups had been prepared to ship the Islanders a first-round decide and good property for Palmieri.
As I reported Thurs, the #Isles have supplied a 2-year extension to maintain Kyle Palmieri. The 2 sides are talking later this morning, upon which a call shall be made (signal him or transfer him). There’s been commerce curiosity in Palmieri, in addition to J-G Pageau & even Anders Lee.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 7, 2025
As it has been reported, he and the Islanders had been in contract negotiations, with an extension presumably on the horizon. Nevertheless, Lamoriello didn’t sound too assured when he said, “We’ll see,” when requested if Palmieri was positively coming again. He’ll deliver again Palmieri on the staff’s phrases, not the gamers’. So that’s one thing to look at shifting ahead because the Islanders look to get youthful.
Even his reply relating to these gamers makes the Nelson commerce even stranger, provided that he was making an attempt to get the staff youthful however nonetheless battling for the playoffs.
“If we may have gotten youthful and higher, aside from draft picks, we’d have completed it with out query,” Lamoriello mentioned. “We felt that the place a couple of of our gamers are — after I say a couple of, a number of of our gamers we may have made strikes with — they’d be higher completed at a special time. What we have to infuse within the lineup, these gamers can be obtainable. That’s a call we made.
Alongside the best way we additionally tried to have a look at this season. We’re 4 factors out , not to surrender in any method in any respect on the blokes in that room, with out hurting what the mission was to enter the commerce deadline. And it ended up the best way it was. However I can guarantee you that if there have been different gamers, not of the caliber we bought however near that, there would have been much more strikes.”
The problem was that these offers had been on the market. The returns for Palmieri and Pageau would have equaled Nelson’s return. Nevertheless, the phrase “rebuild” shouldn’t be in Lamoriello’s vocabulary. He’ll attempt to retool on the fly just like the Washington Capitals have completed.
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In response to the Islanders GM, these offers weren’t there, and he doesn’t need a 10-year rebuild on the Islanders. Simply think about if this began after the staff went to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. Possibly the Islanders are forward on this retool as a substitute of being in the identical place because the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Lamoriello needs his groups to simply get into the playoffs. However for those who can’t win a playoff spherical, what’s the level? The Islanders have wanted to get youthful and wanted a aim scorer for years, and it was not completed. The hope is that Lou Lamoriello will observe up on the change he preached on Saturday, or else it is perhaps establishment once more for the Islanders.
