In the past week, the New York Islanders’ defense has been hit hard by injuries. Adam Pelech is expected to miss four to six weeks due to an upper-body injury, while Alexander Romanov and Mike Reilly are considered day-to-day and might return soon. However, Pelech’s absence creates a significant gap on the left side of their defense. On Saturday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Islanders are likely exploring options to bolster their weakened defense. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, the Islanders currently have $9.95 million in cap space, partly due to forwards Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair being on long-term injured reserve. Rosner suggested that the team might consider cost-effective, short-term additions, with Detroit’s Erik Gustafsson and Dallas’s Brendan Smith among his proposed trade targets, as both players have seen limited action with their respective teams.
Although the Islanders have some cap flexibility due to LTIR, they need to keep enough space available for Duclair’s expected return in three weeks and Barzal’s in December. This limits their options to more budget-friendly moves. The Athletic’s Arthur Staple echoed this sentiment in his analysis, highlighting that GM Lou Lamoriello would need to offload salary to make a significant addition.
Staple noted Anaheim’s Cam Fowler as a potential target, but his $6.5-million cap hit through next season would require the Islanders to trade one of their top-four defensemen. While Fowler’s trade list includes just four teams, he might be open to expanding it, though the Islanders may not be on his preferred list. Staple also suggested more affordable options, such as Jon Merrill and Declan Chisholm from the Minnesota Wild, and Scott Perunovich from the St. Louis Blues, each with cap hits below $1.3 million.
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