NHL Rumors: Who is the Islanders top trade target; Hurricanes want righty defenseman; and Avalanche goalie search
Anthony Scultore
|
The New York Islanders are going to make a trade to try and fill the void left by the loss of Anders Lee. He went down to injury on March 17 and GM Lou Lamoriello has bided his time even though Taylor Hall has been sitting there for the taking and at one point insiders had him pegged for Long Island. It makes you wonder if Hall just isn’t at the top of Lou’s list.
Who are the Islanders targeting at the deadline?
In a recent interview done for The Athletic what kind of players the Islanders are looking for, the GM made it very clear.
“I said it earlier, we certainly will see what is available but we won’t make a trade just for the sake of making it happen…In other words, it has to be something that works for the team, that works with reference to the chemistry; it doesn’t upset the room, all the variables that to me are extremely important.”
Lou Lamoriello
So just what kind of player is that? Here are the names attached to the Islanders; Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Nick Foligno. Of the three names mentioned, Kyle Palmieri just became officially available and it’s possible that’s who the Islanders were waiting for – or is it?
Actually, the perfect fit for this Islanders makeup would be Nick Foligno. He absolutely checks all the boxes. As the Blue Jackets fall out of the playoff race with each new loss; the pending UFA could be the rental Lamoriello has been waiting for.
Will the Jackets trade him is another question.
Hurricanes heavily after David Savard; ultimately want right handed defenseman
David Savard is the the top trade target on defense as we head to the April 12 deadline. Now that Mattias Ekholm appears to be quietly pulled off the table everyone is after the 30 year-old Blue Jackets rearguard. One team rumored to be heavily after him are the Carolina Hurricanes who are seeking a right-handed defenseman.
One has to wonder if they can’t land Savard would they take a risk and go for Rangers exiled defenseman Tony DeAngelo. If Carolina feels there’s a possibility they won’t be able to retain Dougie Hamilton before he becomes a UFA this summer it could be worth some consideration.
Avalanche looking for a goalie
The Colorado Avalanche are the hottest team in hockey going 13-0-2 in their last 15 games. Phillip Grubauer has been outstanding in between the pipes and is the clear number one goalie. However they want some insurance for a deep playoff run and are scouring the market harder for a net minder more than any other team.
On their believed list of candidates they are said to be most after Detroit’s Jonathan Bernier. Other possible candidates could be Devyn Dubnyk and Darcy Kuemper.