As we enter the offseason for the New York Islanders, Noel and I will be breaking down where the Islanders stand at each position and what their needs may be. Noel will tackle the defense later in the week and the forwards will be split into two parts but today we will focus on the Isles’ goaltenders.

As we look back at the 2015 2016 season we see the Islanders caught in a Bermuda Triangle of goalies. Jaroslav Halak had a better goal against and save percentage than the 14/15 season which saw Halak represent the Isles at the all-star game. Even though his numbers were better, his play didn’t match the eye test. Halak was good but not great and could not stay healthy.

Enter in backup goalie Thomas Greiss who stepped in when Halak was injured and set career high in games played and wins. You can also argue that Greiss was the team MVP. Greiss also was the cornerstone that led the Islanders to their first round playoff win against the Florida Panthers.

Finally there is rookie J-F Berube who was impressive in his six starts for New York. Berube will turn 25 in July and showed enough to give the Islanders something to think about in the offseason. Berube was claimed off waivers from the Kings and cannot be sent to the AHL without having to clear said waivers. Many believe that if he was sent down, another team that is in need of a goalie would grab Berube.

So what do the Isles do this offseason? With Halak’s inability to remain healthy I cannot see him getting more than a third round draft pick for him. However moving him would free up some 4.5 million dollars off the cap.

Trading Halak however would leave some questions in the crease. Can Thomas Greiss be a regular number one goalie over the course of an 82 game season? Is J-F Berube capable of developing into at worst a competent NHL backup goalie? Finally if you trade Jaro, the Isles would have to extend Greiss who enters the 16/17 season on the last year of a two-year deal. You simply cannot risk losing him and then ending up with nothing the following season.

Here is where I stand on the New York goalie situation. Jaroslav Halak has made it public that a three-goalie rotation simply does not work and he is correct. There are simply not enough pucks to go around for all three in practice.

I do believe that Halak is the goalie that is moved and here is why. Cap Space. By trading Halak even for a mid-level pick the Islanders give themselves more flexibility to spend on the top nine forwards. But if the team is going to sit on their hands and pocket that money then you have to move Berube or try and sneak him through waivers and hope he doesn’t develop into a good netminder.

This really is a grey area for the team as something HAS to be done but at the same time you don’t want to muck it up. I honestly have no issue cutting ties with Halak but it has to be for the right reason. Do not trade him for the sake of making a deal; trade him to create flexibility to upgrade the talent on this roster.

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