The Islanders and Capitals will face off tonight in Washington D.C. as this is the first of three Isles contest this week before the NHL will shut down for the Olympic break. With the news of Thomas Vanek breaking yesterday the Islanders will try and put these distractions behind them and attempt to end their five game losing streak. It really seems that the disallowed overtime goal against the Blues has taken the wind out of the Islanders sails as the sputter in last place of the Metro Division.
Evgeni Nabokov will make his third straight start as the Islanders are in desperate need for points before the break. Eric Boulton will play tonight but no word on which forward will sit. As we return from the Olympic break the trade deadline will be fast upon us. Thomas Vanek will be moved as well as defenseman Andrew Macdonald. I expect the return for Vanek to be a NHL ready forward with top six potential, a goalie or defensive prospect and a first round pick. Trying to gauge MacDonald’s value is a bit harder as with the demand for dmen being so high a team may over pay. However if I had to project, I would expect a second round pick for AMac.
The Islanders will need to get rid themselves of the dead weight on this roster as well and call up both Ryan Strome and Anders Lee. We need to see more of Strome in a top six role for the last twenty games of the season and Lee has certainly earned bottom six minutes and deserves a strong look. This team needs to know what it has with their young players.
If and or when Thomas Vanek is traded I would expect Brock Nelson to move up and fill that void on the top line. I actually think he could be a real nice fit there as his skill and size fit with Tavares and Okposo. The first line has to play better in its own end and I think Nelson may help with that. Nobody is going to replace the skill of Vanek but we all know Tavares raises the level of his line mates and I think Nelson would be a good fit.
I would also consider trying Ryan Strome on the wing with Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey. The second line desperately need an injection of offense and perhaps playing Strome for twenty games on wing might work. The bottom line is with this season in the preverbal toilet the Isles have to start thinking about next season and where their kids fit into the lineup. Unfortunately with the way the season has played out to this point; the only thing that Islander fans have to be excited about is the upcoming trade deadline. The pressure will clearly be on Islander General Manager Garth Snow to maximize the value of his movable pieces. As always for more on all things hockey please give me a follow on Twitter and Instagram at @DanDanNoodles78.