Johnson if he is available ... nobody would ever trade for Duchene at Sakic's asking price. If it'll cost them Hamonic, Pulock, and the 15th overall pick, no way ... i wouldn't even trade Hamonic straight up for Duchene as the Islanders ... though Garth Snow is the General Manager, so he could always do something like that, but even Garth Snow might not be willing to do that. If Tyler Johnson is available, sure, except for one thing: they want a winger to play with Tavares, not a centre ... still though, i don't see Panarin as a fit, and i don't see them trading for Duchene with the ridiculously high asking price. But i think maybe someone else, like possibly Alex Steen, or they could go after Oshie in free agency. I could see them signing Oshie, as they want that winger. I could also see some kind of Tyler Bozak - Johnny Boychuk trade with the Maple Leafs. I see Bozak as a good fit with the Islanders ... or possibly Steven Stamkos, though he probably isn't available, and if he is, it would probably cost them ... well, first they'd have to move up in the draft, maybe to 3rd. Then it might cost them Ho-Sang, Pulock, 3rd overall, Leddy, and more than just that. So he'd be very hard to acquire. Stamkos is kind of untrad(e)able though, because of injuries, so one team could get completely destroyed in a Stamkos trade, just like Letang, or prospects like Kerby Rychel.
Realistically, i think Duchene costs them Ho-Sang and possibly a late round pick. No joke. Duchene, i think, kind of struggles to play the best defensive game, as well as not being much of a leader, and also he has like, what? 5 points in his last 25 games or something? If Joe Sakic wants a number 1 guy in Hamonic, that's ridiculous, even straight up. If he wants Hamonic, Pulock (one of their top prospects), AND a 1st round pick, that's just crazy. I don't even think Garth Snow (who i think is the worst GM in the league) would take that. Even after losing 3 key guys in free agency last year and replacing them with Ladd, giving up so much for Vanek and later that year trading him for almost nothing, drafting Strome, Dal-Colle, and Reinhart with top 5 picks, giving up so much for Leddy, and all that, i still don't think he'd give up Hamonic, Pulock, and a 1st for Duchene. I'd say that's the kind of package that might get them a guy like Erik Karlsson if the Islanders maybe added a bit more to that package (not that i think either team should do that, but i think it would be fair in value if the Islanders added a bit more). So that's a lot for a 2nd liner in my opinion.
Sure, when Duchene's at his best he can be really good, and i think that could happen with a new team ... but even then i'd probably rather have Hamonic than Duchene, and i think it would be a very hard decision to make if you give up so much for a player when it's really questionable if that's the right team for them, and if you're actually getting what you want with this player ... sure, sometimes it happens with guys who you think are going to be a good fit, but i don't think they should do it with a guy who has really struggled in the last few years. I think, in the end, Duchene just ends up in Anaheim, because they might offer something including Theodore/Larsson, as they could use a forward. I think it's likely Theodore or Larsson gets moved, though i think Vatanen is more likely, though not for Duchene. They might get a pretty good package from the Islanders too, though i think Anaheim offers more ... or possibly Washington, who i don't think should give up. You have 2 options if you're the Caps: 1) go for the cup another year, and 2) give up and trade your best player (Ovechkin). So in the end, option 1 looks better, and i think Duchene might be a really good fit for the Capitals, though they might not have the type of package the Avalanche are looking for unless they give up some current players, which i don't see them doing much yet. So maybe something like Vrana for Duchene and some picks ... then from Anaheim you maybe have Manson, Theodore, and maybe a pick going from one of the two teams, it seems a little off, but not sure why ... realistically, the Islanders maybe offer Ho-Sang and possibly a late rounder pick as well ... Anaheim's offer, i think, would be better. Sure there are so many teams, but in the end i think he goes to Anaheim, who i think makes the best offer and acquires Matt Duchene.
So what would it take to acquire Tyler Johnson then? Possibly Hamonic would have to be involved, but i'd say take him out of the trade ... so possibly something like Leddy, Bellows, and the 15th overall pick, maybe for Johnson and a pick ... a big problem here is injuries, because Johnson has injury problems, and that would be a problem. So maybe then they go after Alex Steen or someone like him instead, so possibly a winger. But maybe not Steen, as he is a left winger, and might not be a 1st line left winger. I think they have that 1st line LW though with Anders Lee (really, i think he is a 1LW ... he got 34 goals this year), but then they could use a 1st line right winger. I've seen quite a few teams on this site, the idea of Kucherov to the Islanders ... i don't see that happening. The only way to get him i think would be to trade Tavares for Kucherov and 1 or 2 picks, which would probably never happen ... but in the end, there's one guy who some may not see as the Islanders' forward that they add ... i wouldn't call him a 1st line right winger, but i think he could be one with the Islanders, and would be a great fit there ... so he could possibly turn into one ...
The one guy i think really makes sense for both teams is, well ... i have both my favourite teams making a trade together, as i think Rick Nash is that guy. He could fit in really well with the New York Islanders i think ... i think he needs a fresh start. Why does it make sense for the Islanders? Well, they have Lee, but Tavares is a passer, and if you get a guy like Tavares with Lee on the left side and Nash on the right side, that could be a good line. Nash is a goal scorer, and Tavares is a passer, so why not have both on the same line? So if you have a line with Tavares (a great passer), Lee (a goal scorer), and Nash (another good goal scorer), that's a good line.
So yes, in the end, i'd say Rick Nash goes to the Islanders, because also, with Tavares' leadership, Rick Nash could get a fresh start with help from John Tavares, and this team could make the playoffs ... and possibly go pretty far ... and maybe, just maybe, bring the Stanely Cup to the island.