Islanders News: Trade deadline countdown
Oh, I’m just getting started. Or maybe I’m done. | Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders have a little extra time between games while the rest of the division catches up. Whether it was Lou Lamoriello with the Bo Horvat trade or Doug Armstrong with the Vladimir Tarasenko trade or who knows what else, I want to give a big round of applause to NHL GMs this (last) month for getting all their trade deadline spending sprees off and running well before tomorrow’s official deadline.
After enduring another fall of “it’s just too hard to make trades” stories, it’s cool to see some actual “We have a trade to announce...” action — and spread out over days and weeks, rather than condensed into one wholly unfulfilling day of mainlining Girl Scout cookies while refreshing TSN-dot-CA or enduring their terrible “But Gord, how does THIS exchange of Pacific Division 6th-round picks affect the Leafs?” coverage simulcast on NHL Network.
As an added bonus, while it’s clear this year’s Islanders are not destined for great things (and quite possibly not even destined for the playoffs), at least we have the entertainment of watching the arms race among their rivals.
While some would have us up in arms about the outrage and the injustice of multiple top teams being eliminated by the second round, I very much welcome the chaos. How cool will it be to see teams you hate — you DO hate them, don’t you? — go down without even one series win after burning through futures to “go for it”?
Granted, I come from the perspective that once the Isles are out, I just want to watch everything else burn down — picture me having the expression of young Drew Barrymore in “Firestarter” — but sports is one area where we can in good conscience wish misery upon fellow humans who don’t otherwise deserve it.
Anyway, NHL trade deadline is tomorrow afternoon, Isles resume play Saturday. Almost all of the big names have already moved, but there will still be some trades out there, maybe even involving the Islanders.
Islanders News
Pierre Engvall could fit in lots of places within the Islanders lineup. [Newsday | Post]
The Islanders signed 2021 3rd-round pick Tristan Lennox, to an ELC. They are due for some goalie pipeline depth somewhere. [Isles]
Various ways to say maybe the Islanders will still try to add someone. [Athletic]
The wives and girlfriends visit Ronald McDonald House. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Last night’s scores included the Capitals winning in OT, but it was just over the Ducks. The Devils outlasted the Avalanche, 7-5, and the Smurfs won in OT.
After how many years of holding out for a Lamborghini package, the Coyotes finally faced the fact that Jakub Chychrun is still just Jakub Chychrun. They got three picks from Ottawa for him, which is fine — just like the player: He’s fine. [NHL]
The Coyotes also dealt Shayne Gostisbehere to the Hurricanes for a third rounder. [NHL]
The Avalanche got Lars Eller from the Capitals. [TSN]
The Penguins sent Teddy Bleuger, whose name I’ve always hated, to Vegas. [TSN] That made room for them to acquire Mikael Granlund from Nashville. [TSN]
The new-look Leafs laid an egg in Edmonton, and you just hate to see it. [Sportsnet]
The great thing about the deadline is you can have really lengthy “instant reactions” to things like the Canucks trading the Islanders’ first round pick to Detroit for Filip Hronek. [Sekeres & Price on YouTube]
Speaking of which, for the Canucks it may be viewed as “desperate and risky.” [Athletic]
Jonathan Quick leaves quite the legacy in L.A. (Also, drunken Cup parades, if I recall.) Mostly he’ll remembered for family ties to Matt Moulson though. [NHL]
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