The New York Islanders have $3.8 million in salary cap space per PuckPedia, and ideally, they will use it to re-sign Maxim Tsyplakov. That said, is that the only thing they can do with the space? The short answer is no, as there are a few options on the table, and if Semyon Varlamov is placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), then the Islanders have plenty of paths.
Related: Islanders Have Options if Varlamov Is Placed on LTIR
One thing the Islanders can look at is facilitating a blockbuster trade late in the summer. With the extra cap space, they can take on some of the salary while receiving a few pieces in return. Erik Karlsson is on the trade block, and if a contender like the Toronto Maple Leafs wants to add him and fit him under the cap, the Islanders can come in and facilitate the deal.
Islanders Add More Future Assets
The big reason the Islanders would be interested in this trade and taking on salary is that they can add some assets to help the retool on the fly. Ideally, general manager (GM) Mathieu Darche wants the team to compete and with a core good enough to make a push for the playoffs, that will be the motive entering this season. At the same time, another prospect or a draft pick can go a long way for the long-term vision Darche has for this team.
The prospect the Islanders can target is defenseman William Villeneuve. If the Maple Leafs add Karlsson, the 23-year-old skater won’t have a spot on the NHL roster. However, he can be a key second or third-pair option on the Islanders.
Villeneuve is a great skater and moves the puck well while also stepping up on the defensive end, making him an ideal skater for Darche’s future blue line. If the Maple Leafs still believe he has a path to the NHL, then the other option is for the Islanders to look for a few mid-round draft picks to help with the deal.
Why the Maple Leafs Make This Trade
The question for the Maple Leafs is, why would they want to enter the Karlsson sweepstakes to begin with? Karlsson built up a reputation for joining teams only to see them get worse. That defined his tenure with the San Jose Sharks, and so have the past two seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Teams add the Norris Trophy-caliber defenseman, looking to get better, and they end up looking worse a few seasons later.
Karlsson isn’t the type of player the Maple Leafs are targeting to help in the regular season. He’s someone who can take a good team that will make the playoffs and help them go on a deep playoff run. The Maple Leafs will make the playoffs next season, with or without Karlsson. To make a run at the Stanley Cup, one of the qualities they need is a playmaking defenseman.
If the Maple Leafs can find a team to take on some of the $10 million average annual value (AAV) contract (the contract is worth $11.5 million per season, but the Sharks are taking on $1.5 million of it, making it slightly more manageable), they can make this trade work. Yes, a deal will force them to move out more future assets to make the trade, but it’s worthwhile to get this team over the hump.
Penguins Fuel Their Rebuild with Islanders’ Help
For the Penguins, trading Karlsson almost feels like a must. This is a team in dire need of a rebuild, and they must get younger and rebuild the farm system. They already signaled their willingness to rebuild with a coaching change, but now must turn over the roster. The best way to do that is to trade veterans like Karlsson. They won’t receive a ton in a trade, but enough to get the rebuild started.
That contract also doesn’t help, as they must find teams willing to take on two more seasons with the $10 million AAV. If the Islanders are willing to take on $3 million, then the Penguins still must take one of the Maple Leafs’ players with a big contract to make the deal work.
Karlsson Trade Would Be Hard
This three-team hypothetical requires everyone to jump through hoops to make it work. The Maple Leafs must have the prospects or picks to make it happen. The Islanders must have enough cap space available, which will only happen if they fail to re-sign Tsyplakov or place Varlamov on LTIR. On top of all that, the Penguins must be willing to take on a bad contract to make it happen.
All this makes it hard for the teams to thread the needle for a Karlsson blockbuster. So, it’s more likely that a trade happens with a team that has the cap space. The Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, and Winnipeg Jets all have the space to add Karlsson and are looking to take that next step, but none of them need defensemen. The Detroit Red Wings are looking to leap into the playoff discussion and can use another defenseman, but they are well aware of the risks.
So, Karlsson is on the trade block, and with most of the action in the rearview mirror, he is the player to watch. That said, it’s hard to see a trade happening at the moment, unless some team surprises us.
