Roster Decisions Facing the Islanders During the Break

The New York Islanders fell to the Minnesota Wild 6-3 last night. The loss marks the third in four games, as the Islanders respond to a seven-game win streak by going 1-3-0 to close out the first 65% of the season. It’ll be two weeks from today before the next time the Islanders touch the ice.

Entering the break, the Islanders are four points out of a wild card spot and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference. They’re very far from out of it, but dropping both games in Winnipeg and Minnesota, in which the team had second-period leads in both, is a bitter pill to swallow.

As the break sets in for the Four Nation’s Face-Off, the team is left with some major questions about its roster.

Buy, Sell, or Both?

The first major question is likely on the mind of every major buyer in the NHL. Will these Islanders buy, sell, or maybe do a bit of both during this deadline?

It’s likely prudent to do both. Simon Holmstrom’s continued emergence this season makes Kyle Palmieri an excess. Both are due for new contracts at the end of the season, but one is 23, and the other is 34. If somebody like the Tampa Bay Lightning or the New Jersey Devils, both reportedly very interested in adding a scoring winger, come knocking, it’d be hard to say no.

The cost would likely be around a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick, but maybe a team gets desperate enough and throws a condition on the pick, making it possible to receive a first-rounder. The Islanders do not currently own a 2026 second-round pick (Josh Bailey trade), so if they can extract one from there, it would be very ideal.

However, the Islanders can just hold onto Palmieri and not worry too much about a potential asset like a draft pick. They could also hope to re-sign Palmieri or just let him walk to free agency as an “own-rental” as the playoff push continues.

In addition to selling off guys like that, we talked about how the Islanders can go big-game hunting for Elias Pettersson if the Canucks are receptive, with Noah Dobson after the new-found depth emerged. It’s unlikely, but adding a superstar like Pettersson changes the franchise’s trajectory.

Brock Nelson- Extend or Trade

The big question of what to do with Brock Nelson looms large. Nelson, 34, is also a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, and his name tops every single trade board published as of writing.

Nelson’s haul would be massive: a guaranteed first-round pick, a top prospect, and more. It’s a haul so large that the Islanders cannot afford to keep Nelson if he will not commit to re-signing over the break.

Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada reported last night that the Islanders and Team President Lou Lamoriello are beginning to make a real run at extending the career Islander. If that fails, the Islanders will have no choice but to trade him.

The haul he’d bring in is far too valuable to pass up. What’s more, the Islanders would then have extra assets to either keep and load up on prospects, or they can turn around and flip them for a player to fill the hole he would leave.

Simply keeping Nelson and letting him walk to free agency would be unacceptable. It would be almost reminiscent of when the team allowed John Tavares to request no trade and refuse to re-sign, only for him to walk away and leave the franchise with nothing.

What’s the Plan Going Forward for the Defense?

When the Islanders return from their break, Scott Mayfield is expected to be back to 100% and ready to go. Additionally, Ryan Pulock and Noah Dobson will likely begin skating at the very least and will be pushing to get back in the lineup soon.

That begs the question, what is the plan for the defense ahead?

First, it’s become crystal clear Dennis Cholowski no longer has a future with the Islanders. He could be waived as early as today, but it’s expected he won’t remain with the club when the team reconvenes.

After that, the Islanders will have to decide whether to carry eight defensemen or waive one of Adam Boqvist or Anthony DeAngelo.

In his short stint, Scott Perunovich has already guaranteed himself a role for the rest of the season and will likely retain a spot next year when Mike Reilly departs. Perunovich, 26, has made some incredibly high-IQ plays en route to solidifying a role for himself on the blue line.

Boqvist or DeAngelo?

However, DeAngelo and Boqvist play an incredibly similar style, and when Dobson returns, one of them will be the odd man out. Last night, DeAngelo had the worst game of his Islanders’ career. Minnesota used him like a turnstile and bullied him defensively, as DeAngelo was caught out of position too often.

DeAngelo even scored not one but two terrible own goals, which cost the Islanders the game. He finished -3, with zero points and a personal low in ice time at 21:38. The Islanders brought in DeAngelo almost exclusively to help fix the power play and be a stopgap while Dobson is out of the lineup. He’s failed to record a single power-play point through eight games. The team hasn’t scored a power-play goal with him on the ice, and he has hardly looked threatening too often.

Boqvist, meanwhile, played a new high 18:32 but went -2. Boqvist also showed more flash in the offensive zone and had a pair of incredibly effective power play shifts with Perunovich. The two have shown chemistry and have far more potential than DeAngelo.

I’d take the gamble on the younger Boqvist, 24, and bet that he can fix his defense just enough to justify his immense talent in the offensive zone. DeAngelo, 29, has played well during his stint. It’s hard to justify waiving or cutting him, so I almost wonder if the Islanders may waive Hudson Fasching and/or Matt Martin (as a paper move if it’s Martin) to keep all eight defensemen.

There’s also the wildcard option of trading Noah Dobson to acquire a bonafide top-line player, and if that happens, all bets are off.