3 players the New York Islanders should trade after playoff exit
2. Leo Komarov
Currently, the New York Islanders bottom six forward group is a tad bit crowded. They’ve already got Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Andrew Ladd (good luck trading him), Casey Cizikas, Cal Clutterbuck, Ross Johnston, Leo Komarov, and Michael Dal Colle. I believe the New York Islanders will re-sign Matt Martin. If they do, that leaves eight forwards for six spots in the lineup.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
Pageau’s not going anywhere. Neither is Ladd because he’s not movable. Cizikas is the heartbeat of the Islanders, so he’s not getting traded. Clutterbuck is a key player for Trotz, so he’s probably not going anywhere. Johnston and Dal Colle are expendable, but the Islanders aren’t clearing much space if they get rid of either of them, or even both of them.
That leaves Leo Komarov as the odd man out. He has two years left on his contract with a $3 million annual cap hit. During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Komarov averaged 10:20 of ice time at 5v5 per game, which ranked second-to-last among forwards who played in at least 10 games. Only Brassard (9:27) averaged fewer minutes on the ice.
On paper, that $3 million cap hit is a huge yikes. But he’s only due $4.5 million in salary, which could make him attractive to teams like the Ottawa Senators who are trying to get to the cap floor. The Islanders will probably have to include someone else in the trade to persuade another team to take him, but trading him would prevent the bottom six from getting too clogged up.