With only three games left before the NHL trade deadline, the Islanders are at a crucial crossroads regarding their aging roster. General Manager Lou Lamoriello’s silence on potential deals raises concerns about not securing assets for pending unrestricted free agents. The team struggles for consistent performance, relying heavily on goaltender Ilya Sorokin. The article discusses the options of extending key players like Brock Nelson while potentially offloading others like Kyle Palmieri. The overarching theme suggests that the Islanders must confront their future decisions regarding player longevity and team competitiveness.
Even if Lou Lamoriello remains as tight-lipped on his plans as ever, reaching the deadline without getting assets for his pending UFAs - especially after so many years of dealing first-round picks - is absolutely a major decision.
My concern is that an aging roster that is only even sniffing the outside of bubble contention when Ilya Sorokin is standing on his head, then otherwise very very bottom-fourth of the league when he's not, is not a roster that you should be doubling down on.
Lou still hopes this team makes a run, and he still hopes Nelson remains an Islander: "We can't think about yesterday and we're not focused on tomorrow. It's all about tonight."
Takeaways from the win over Boston: "A journey of 1,000 miles starts with the first step."
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