Team: 2021-22 New York Islanders

Initial Creation Date: Nov. 28, 2021

Published: Nov. 29, 2021

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

The Islanders would be making 2 trades here that would shake up things a bit. I don't think either happens but i would add more to both trades if they were actually close.
First the Montreal trade is one where i actually think that Ben Chiarot is a major target for Lou Lamoriello. I really wouldn't be surprised to see him in an Islanders uniform this year. Yes he isnt a good skater and has been bad this year while also being a pending UFA. However, I dont think there is a better fit for him than a Barry Trotz system. It will help minimize his foot speed issues and he will be able to focus on defending. The price tag according to Elliote Friedman is is probably a solid prospect/young roster player, a 2nd round pick plus, or some sort of a combo of both with how his season has gone so far. Aho will be a solid bottom pair guy who brings offense. He's a great lateral skater and he beat out erik gustafsson for a roster spot this year (some of that had to do with his contract being cheaper as well). He's also very clearly the type of D the Habs are looking for and will be a cost effective asset for what he brings. I think a trade like this will happen bc it makes too much sense.
I just decided to spice it up by adding Josh Anderson. Gorton has a reputation for looking for skill over anything else, and it's why the Rangers fired him (dumb move by them bc he was doing a great job rebuilding). Their core is no longer Price, Weber, and Gallagher. It's Suzuki, Caufield and their top 10 pick this year. What they dont want to do is hold on to all these solid players with big contracts bc they will be in no mans land. You need high picks and high-end prospects to compete nowadays and i think Gorton will be solely focused on building a prospect pool full of skill. Right now it's completely barren of top prospects according to the prospect scouts and writers. So i think players like Anderson actually makes sense to move now while their value is high. Anderson has a history of injuries and inconsistency. I think it would be a very interesting idea for the Habs to entertain Oliver Wahlstrom for Anderson. Wahlstrom's goals per 60 equate him to being an easy 30 goal scorer. He was the Islanders leading goal scorer while playing the least minutes on the team. His shot is world class and a duo of him and Caufield as your top 6 RWs for years to come is a salivating thought. He doesn't have Trotz's trust rn bc his d-zone awareness and attention to detail is still inconsistent. However, he's already shown to be a great forechecker, he's been busting his butt off all year, and has a massive ceiling when fully developed. The reason the Isles would do it is bc they are in pure win now mode. Anderson is in his prime and is a very similar player to Tom Wilson who Trotz developed from a 4th liner to a 1st liner. He would be heavily used by Trotz over the next few years. I think the trade makes a lot of sense with where both organizations are at. The Isles add in a conditional 1st and 3rd based on them making the playoffs. That covers for Chiarot's return and the added value i think Anderson has over Wahlstrom rn.

The Blackhawks are in a very funny situation right now with having a coach who wants his team to focus heavily on defense while having a lineup and roster consisting of almost exclusively skilled players. They have a lot of severely underperforming players too. Dylan Strome has gotten to the point where he cant even be traded bc of his 3M dollar contract and the 3.5 qualifying offer hes entitled to this summer. Kubalik is in a similar boat with his RFA status and zero production. The 2 I put in this deal are 2 young players who arent working out and are very clearly not in the Blackhawks plans either. Nylander is buried in the AHL and producing at a meager half a point per game pace, and Borgstrom is getting 10 minutes a night while playing a role that doesnt suit him well at all. The blackhawks need bottom 6 players who play good defense and bring some size. Richard Panik has been ne of the Islanders best NHL forwards ever since he's been called up. He's been playing every game on their top line with Barzal bc Trotz is rewarding how hard he works and how physical and detailed he's been. He'd be perfect for the Hawks but not sure Lou would consider trading him with his cap hit being so small. Dal Colle is a proven defensive specialist at the NHL level analytically. Despite being a #5 overall pick and producing at the AHL level, he has brought no offense at the NHL level so far. He would, however, fit perfectly into what Derek King is looking for in his bottom 6. Big body, good skater, playable skill and very strong defensively. Bellows was the one i wasn't sure about including bc Trotz has really liked his growth this year and he beat out a lot of players for a single open roster spot. He's a power forward type with a good shot and his defense has come a long way. The issue with him is consistency. He's a really streaky scorer. But he's a player that would suit well in a middle 6 spot right now and has potential if given a real chance. Borgstrom and Nylander are obviously former top prospects who have been traded to the Blackhawks and have not worked out well. Theyre both very skilled but are not very good skaters and have issues with effort. I think both would have some potential if Trotz ever got home to them. You never know which players will become Trotz students but when players do he always is able to turn them into really solid role players for his system. They also fill a RW and C depth position that the Isles are lacking right now

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