As we reach that lull between the end of the season and the craziness of the draft I thought I’d reach into the mailbag for some of the questions. I thank everyone for participating and here are the three that made the final cut.
Q: Do you think there’s any realistic shot at a Lucic or high caliber top line LW?
A: There were a lot of questions pertaining to the offense for next season but I’ll address solely Lucic in this answer. Milan Lucic makes a lot of money and the Bruins are yet again under the crunch of the NHL salary cap. Much like last year when Boston was forced to trade Johnny Boychuk for cap relief I am sure that Islanders General Manager Garth Snow will inquire about some of the Bruins high priced, underperforming wingers.
Lucic is a tricky one for me. I’m not sure what the market is the Bruins winger but the price tag for one year is steep at six million dollars. Despite Lucic’s antics resembling those of a professional wrestler at times, he would help this Islander team. He would give them a significant upgrade upfront and Lucic has the ability to pop in 20 goals and 45 plus points.
I would certainly kick the tires on this player. I do think he could help and with the cap crunch that the Bruins are under he might be traded at a discount. Garth Snow did a great job waiting everyone out last summer and he walked away with Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy without trading a player on Snow’s NHL roster.
Lucic is not a natural goal scorer however. He certainly can contribute and pop in 18-25 goals but he is by no means a sniper. I’m looking for a guy to play with John Tavares that can score 30 goals without the help of JT. Without question if Lucic is available, teams across the league will be calling up Boston, I’m just not sure he is a slam dunk first line player. If the price is right though I would acquire him.
Q: What do you think the defense will look like next season?
A: I think the defense will be tinkered with but not blown up by any stretch. From January 1st on the overall defense of this team improved and it was the scoring and power play that faltered for the Islanders. I do think however that G.M. Garth Snow will add another dman to the mix for the upcoming season.
We know the top three defenseman for this team are set. Nick Leddy, Johnny Boychuk and Travis Hamonic are locks. After that it gets a little blurry. I do not think Matt Donovan will return. It is also possible that Thomas Hickey will not be qualified. Lubomir Visnovsky’s days in New York appear done as well. So where does that leave us?
Calvin de Haan will be in the mix and I fully expect Ryan Pulock and his 100 MPH howitzer will make this team. I am fine with Brian Strait being the seventh or eighth defenseman. I think a quality veteran blueliner that could be slotted in as the four or five on this team will go a long way to sure up this back line. I also think Scotty Mayfield will be in the mix as perhaps the seventh dman. If he improves his skating this offseason and gets a little stronger he has a real chance of maybe playing more.
I had ton of questions about Griffin Reinhart and I’ll address them with the defensive outlook for 2015/2016. Reinhart has a lot to work on and I don’t consider him an NHL prospect for next year. He simply needs more time in the AHL. I’m not calling him a bust, he just has to get stronger, meaner and faster. Reinhart may have a future as a top four NHL dman is just won’t be next year unless he has an amazing offseason and the light bulb burst on.
Q: What are some tinkering type deals that you want to see them make for next season?
A: In my opinion the Islanders need the following, a first line winger, a third line center with size that can win facoffs, another dman and a backup goalie. The free agent market for top line wingers is simply not there and if John Tavares is getting a sniper to play alongside him, it will have to come via trade. When you are looking for a trade partner you have to look at the money first. The Blackhawks and the Bruins become good trade partners because of their cap situation. The Oilers are a great trade partner because of their assets and organizational needs. I would look at those teams for possible trade suitors.
A third line center could be had on July 1st and the three names that come three that could really help this team are Shawn Matthais, Jay Beagle or Carl Soderberg. All would fit the size upgrade needed and could balance out this team more.
As for a veteran defenseman there are some available via free agency as well. Adam Pardy, Paul Martin or Johnny Oduya would all be players that could solidify this defense. As for a backup goalie, Kari Ramo, Jhonas Enroth or Thomas Griess could fit the bill.
Despite the Islanders not having a pick until the third round of this June’s draft I do think they will be very active and this is where you could see a trade occur. I don’t think this Islander team needs to be blown up, it just needs some reinforcements and a little tinkering could go a long way come next spring. As always for more on all things hokey please follow me on twitter at @DanDannoodles78.