The New York Islanders will have to play much better hockey from here on out to have a solid chance at making the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. At the All-Star break, and with the trade deadline looming, it looks like President and GM Lou Lamoriello has some possible candidates.
Andrew Fantucchio of NYI Hockey Now has listed three players he believes are possible trade candidates for Lamoriello, and some of them can certainly provide more depth for a team looking at making a run.
Brock Nelson is listed as the most likely candidate. It's been a pretty good year for the 32-year-old veteran centre (21 goals, 38 points, 49 games). The cap hit of $6 million for this season and next could be tricky for a contender, but it's not outrageous.
A first-round pick in the 2019 NHL entry draft, forward Simon Holmstrom is also listed as a possibility. This would not be someone a contender would want right now. The 22-year-old has a ton of potential, but hasn't yet found a permanent spot in the NHL yet. Holmstrom will be a restricted free agent after this season ends.
The last, and another great piece for the right team, is goaltender Semyon Varlamov. He's only played in 16 games this season, but his numbers are good, all things considered. Varlamov has a record of 6-5-3, with a .914 save percentage, and a 2.88 goals against average.
Both Nelson and Varlamov could fetch some potentially great assets on the trade market, especially given the need for both centres and goaltenders. It's also worth noting that this could very well be a make-or-break trade deadline for Lamoriello. The team is simply not meeting expectations in 2023-24.
