With the trade deadline a day away, questions remain as to if the Islanders will add a significant piece to their roster for the playoff push. While every year fans wish and dream for the blockbuster deal, General Manager Garth Snow is predictably quiet on deadline day.
Here's what we do know as of today. The Islanders have made two significant offers to the Avalanche for center Matt Duchene. The offers are said to meet Colorado's requirements and the ball is in the court of Avs' G.M. Joe Sakic. As of right now it appears that Sakic is stalling and still trying to decide if he is going to rebuild fully.
This has gone farther than tire kicking. The Isles have made very fair offers and it is solely up to the Avs. However if this falls through then Snow has to have a viable plan B. This team needs a top six forward and Garth has to prove that he is capable of improving his roster via trade.
We also know that three teams have reached out to the Isles inquiring about Jaro Halak. These teams are believed to be Calgary, Edmonton and Boston. If Halak is traded I would expect that New York will have to eat some salary. The real question to be asked is this. With the J.F. Berube not looking like a quality backup goaltender, shouldn't the Isles keep Halak and recall him?
As for tomorrow, Noel and I will have you covered throughout the day. We will also have a podcast tomorrow night recapping the day.