Team: 2018-19 New York Islanders

Initial Creation Date: Jan. 11, 2019

Published: Jan. 11, 2019

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Disregard trade value for now. Not entirely sure if this is an even trade or if one side or the other would need to add. Feel free to discuss it, but I'm more interested if the trade makes sense in the first place.

But I was thinking this: Colorado has had a solid season so far driven by an insanely good offense but is being held back by bad goaltending. So the Avalanche would receive a goaltender with better stats if they traded Varlamov for Greiss. While some might say that Greiss is a product of Mitch Korn and Barry Trotz (and I'm sure that's a part of it, honestly), Greiss HAS put up good numbers for the Isles in years past as well. Better numbers than now even. So I'd think Colorado would want to swap their underperforming soon-to-be UFA in Varlamov for a goaltender who has been having a better season so far.

So what do the Isles get from this? Seems like an unnecessary risk.

First of all, I think Lehner is starting to show that he's the clear No. 1 goaltender in Long Island, so if Varlamov doesn't pan out, then we still have a strong starter in Lehner. And even then, I think Varlamov's numbers would improve under Trotz' system and Korn's coaching. But the real reason the Isles bring on Varlamov is because he's good friends with Ilya Sorokin, a stellar goaltending prospect the Isles have struggled to attract from the KHL. The Isles have already made a huge step in enticing him across the Atlantic by getting Mitch Korn on board as a goaltending coach, Barry Trotz as Head Coach and Lou Lamoriello as General Manager. Sorokin himself has said that he was pleased with the changes in management. But if Sorokin had a chance to share the crease with a friend of his in Varlamov, I think that'd help seal the deal on the Islanders' goaltender of the future.

Like I said, this is a weird idea and I could easily see either side disliking it. But I think this trade helps both teams out. Colorado can't afford to let this fantastic offense to go to waste. They need to try to get better goaltending and/or defense. And the Islanders can't afford to let a tremendous talent in Sorokin stay in the KHL his whole career. They need to move heaven and earth to get him to come to Long Island, and this might be the way to do it.