Good Morning, Islanders Country.
The Isles will be sellers at the trade deadline. We’ve come to terms with that. Heck, even Lou has come to terms with that - we think. What we don’t know is whether any of the moves have the potential to impact the shape of the 2022-23 roster.
All of the UFAs, Clutterbuck, Parise, Chara, Greene, etc could get moved. It wouldn’t surprise me if Lou gives players in their late 30’s the option to be traded or if they stay with the team the rest of the season. Either way, you’re looking to get draft picks in return. Assets that can be used to move up in a draft, unload a salary, etc. Valuable? Yes. Do they get you excited? No.
Then there are players with term left. Of them, Seymon Varlamov appears to be the most likely trade candidate (complicated by his 16-team-no-trade). Ilya Sorokin is the team’s No.1 goaltender and the timeline is right on schedule making Varly a high-end, but expensive backup. Moving his $5M cap hit would firm up the team’s ability to go after a top free-agent scorer.
Then you ask whether Josh Bailey could generate interest or would Scott Mayfield and his team-friendly AAV bring back a high draft pick to later dangle in a trade? Is Lou even thinking that aggressively? The trade deadline could be our first indication that the ‘retool’ might be not much more than a changing of a few screws.
Coming up, the Varly trade chatter is getting louder, and can it be said the Isles won the Nick Leddy trade? Plus, ticket prices at UBS Arena are cheaper than the food, Sorokin stats, and Bill Torrey Appreciation Night.
Let’s dive in.
📰 NEWS: The Islanders were given a full day off on Wednesday. However, chatter around the NHL continued as the trade deadline looms closer and the Islanders are a team that keeps popping up as “sellers.”
📢 VARLY NOISE GETS LOUDER: Yesterday, James Nichols of The Fourth Period stated that Semyon Varlamov was drawing interest from the Colorado Avalanche. He also stated Varly wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause to go to the Edmonton Oilers.
Well, TSN’s Elliot Friedman doubled down on that sentiment in his most recent 32 Thoughts: The Blog:
“It’s foolish to guess what Lou Lamoriello is up to, but there is increased chatter around Semyon Varlamov. One more year, $5-million cap hit, $4 million cash. His no-trade covers half the NHL. Teams are petrified of admitting they’re talking to the Islanders. If it happens, I’m not convinced it will be Edmonton.”
Rory Boylen of Sportsnet took it a step further when writing “Analyzing the NHL goalie trade market: From starters to wild cards,” labeling the 33-year old as “the second-best potential available option.”
“It’s neck-and-neck with John Gibson for the No. 2 ‘best available’ option in a trade scenario. I’m leaning Varlamov. It’s been a tough year for the Islanders. He hasn’t personally won a start since January. I’m not holding him personally responsible for the losses, however. The team has scored a grand total of 11 goals in his last seven starts. Eleven! His salary structure makes more sense than Gibson’s. Varlamov’s at worst a 1B option. Change of scenery might do him some good. Don’t be surprised to see him go on run of wins if it happens.”
Nothing is guaranteed, but the fact that Varlamov’s name continues to circulate probably means Lou Lamoriello is at least taking calls. Still, there are incentives to hold onto Varlamov, given the fact that the Islanders expect to return in the 2022-23 season as contenders. There are 11 days left until the trade deadline so buckle up, it could be a bit of a bumpy ride.
😬 A RARE W: In a season where there have been many losses, the smallest win will excite Islander fans. Last summer, Lamoriello sent Nick Leddy to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Richard Paník (50% salary retained) and a second-round pick that later turned into Aatu Räty. Well, now that Leddy is currently dead last in the NHL’s plus-minus category at -32, Isles fans are labeling the trade a win for Lamoriello and a (rare) loss for Yzerman.
Räty has yet to play a professional game on North American ice but has quickly become a fan favorite as he continues to prove he was probably drafted later than he should have been. Many now project Räty as a top-six center in the NHL which likely seals the deal that the Isles won this trade.
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders host the Columbus Blue Jackets for the first time at UBS Arena as they play the first half of a back-to-back. Face-off is 7:30 pm.
📊 STANDINGS:
💺 CHEAP SEATS: If the Islanders haven’t completely turned you off from attending a game and you’re not a season ticket holder, tickets might not be as expensive as you think. Neil Best of Newsday writes “Tickets to Islanders games at UBS Arena on the secondary market are cheaper than the food,” and well… it’s true.
StubHub lists all three home games this Thursday, Friday and Sunday at $10 or less, not including fees. SeatGeek’s prices for those three games started at $4, $8 and $5 as of Wednesday afternoon.
Even at the "higher" end, there are deals available. On Wednesday, SeatGeek listed $28 tickets (not including fees) in Row 16 of Section 121 in the lower bowl.
Even if it’s a little pricy for a beer and a pretzel, the price of admission to UBS Arena could possibly never be lower, so now is your time to stock up on tickets and attend games in one of the world’s most prestigious arenas.
📚 SOUND SMART: The Islanders may not be playing very well, but Ilya Sorokin is. In a minimum of 25 games played, the 26-year old netminder started 70.3% of games with SV% above .900 this season. That’s fifth among all goaltenders in the NHL.
🗓 ISLE REMEMBER: On March 9, 2019, the Islanders hosted Bill Torrey Appreciation Night at the Nassau Coliseum (aka at one-time NYBC Live). Torrey, who passed away on May 3, 2018, at 83, was known as “The Architect” as he built one of the league’s youngest franchises into a dynasty.
The Islanders players wore a "WAT" patch on their jerseys for the game. and Torrey's family dropped the ceremonial opening face-off. All fans in attendance received a "Bow-Tie" Bill Torrey replica banner. As for the game, the Isles fell 5-2 to the Flyers.
🎧 Nassaumen Hockey Podcast Episode 99: James and Jon dive into the dog days of the season for the Islanders, whose playoff chances are all but gone. With postseason dreams pushed until next season, NHP dives into what's wrong with the team, more trade chatter, and thinking about the future.
🎧 Sports with Friends: Jiggs McDonald hosted by Seth Everett “Hockey Hall of Fame Broadcaster Jiggs McDonald joins the show this week to discuss his iconic career.”
🔗 As trade deadline nears, uncertainty looms for Islanders, by Andrew Gross, Newsday: “The uncertainty will undoubtedly become more prevalent the closer it gets to the NHL trade deadline on March 21. Because chances are, there will be some changes to this tight-knit Islanders group with the playoffs seemingly out of reach.”
🔗 Rosner: Interaction with Anders Lee, Leadership on Full Display, by Stefen Rosner, NYIHockeyNow: “It’s easy to praise a captain when a team is playing well and exceeding expectations. But the character of a leader is tested when things are not going well when a team is underperforming.”
And we leave you with this… there’s a new, groovy collection of Islanders apparel in the team store that represents the fisherman. The Reverse Retro initiative is confirmed to be returning for the 2022-23 season. Coincidence?
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