Isles have no desire to sell, no way to buy
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — After Sunday’s flurry of deals, it’s clear that the NHL is a seller’s market right now. For the Islanders, who already dealt their best prospect and (conditionally) their first-round pick, that means nothing good.
Right before the All-Star break, when the Isles were reeling, there was a strong case to trade players on expiring contracts. Scott Mayfield, Zach Parise and Semyon Varlamov would all have value to playoff teams, particularly Varlamov, given how some Western Conference contenders have struggled in net. Now, though, the Islanders are 31-25-7 going into Tuesday’s match against the Wild and hold the first wild-card spot in the East. Even without Mathew Barzal, they just put in one of their best performances of the season with Sunday’s 4-0 demolition of the Jets.
They are not about to wave the white flag on the season, and their players are not looking to go compete elsewhere. On the contrary, Varlamov and Mayfield have both told The Post that they not only want to stay this year, but that they want to stay in free agency. (Varlamov would likely have to take a pay cut for that to happen). Parise, age 38, is likely to make a decision on playing next year after this season ends, and is very much invested in the Islanders’ success right now.
Never say never when Lou Lamoriello is involved, but it would be a shocker to see the Islanders jump in as a seller, even if there might be a purely pragmatic case to be made in favor of doing so. More likely would be Lamoriello trying to find either a mobile defenseman or a winger who can bolster the Islanders’ top nine with Barzal out for the time being.
That is where the market’s dynamic presents an issue for the Islanders.
To acquire Bo Horvat, the Islanders sent Aatu Raty and a top-12 protected 2023 firstround pick to Vancouver. The pick becomes an unprotected first-rounder in 2024 if it doesn’t convert, so in theory, the Islanders could still trade this year’s pick with protections from 13-32 under the same condition. That would, however, be committing to two more years without a firstround pick for a franchise that has not picked in the top 32 since taking Simon Holmstrom in 2019.
The Islanders have other prospects who could in theory be made available, including Holmstrom, William Dufour and Arnaud Durandeau, who has impressed in an ongoing NHL cameo. None, though, are of the blue-chip variety.
Then there is the massive price Tampa Bay just paid to get Tanner Jeannot, a bottomsix winger, from the Predators: Five draft picks including a top-10 protected first-rounder in 2025 along with Cal Foote. There is nothing stopping Lamoriello from trading a bundle of picks for help, but the Islanders are not a player away from Stanley Cup contention, and they are not rich with assets.
The best interpretation of this for the Islanders is twofold. First: Lamoriello does not need to feel pressure to make a move. Second: unlike their neighbors, there is no sign of rumors creeping into the dressing room or pending deals impacting the lineup.
“Doesn’t matter where you are in the standings, the trade deadline’s always a topic,” Anders Lee said after Sunday’s game. “It doesn’t matter if you’re hunting to get into the playoffs, whatever it is, it always comes down to focusing on us and taking care of what we can take care of.”
The more realistic interpretation is that, with only a few days until the deadline, the Islanders are too good to sell but without an obvious way to add.
INDIANAPOLIS — The NFL will gather this week for the scouting combine, something that goes far beyond the college prospects running, jumping and lifting for the league’s decision-makers.
The combine also doubles as an NFL convention with general managers, agents, coaches and sometimes owners showing up in downtown Indianapolis and having backroom discussions about free agents and trades at the bars at night or the coffee shops in the morning.
For the Jets, this is a critical week in the offseason. GM Joe Douglas will be in town with other members of the front office and the team’s scouts. Head coach Robert Saleh and a good chunk of his coaching staff are not making the trip, choosing instead to stay home and work on other things. Saleh will participate in player interviews virtually.
The Jets are not drafting in the top 10 for the first time in three years. That means this week it is harder to pinpoint what areas the Jets will be looking at in advance of April’s NFL draft. Instead, this week has more intrigue with the Jets and what happens with veterans.
The biggest question remains the quarterback market. One NFL source predicted the dominoes will begin to fall this week. Everyone is waiting on word from Aaron Rodgers. The Packers quarterback emerged from his darkness retreat last week but, so far, has kept the NFL in the dark. If Rodgers makes his intentions known this week, things could heat up in Indianapolis. If Rodgers says he is open to a trade, the talks between the Jets and Packers could get serious here. They have had some preliminary discussions already but nothing substantive can happen until Rodgers makes it known what he wants.
Derek Carr’s agent can meet with more teams here and possibly get his market heated up. The NFL Network reported that Carr will also be in attendance at the combine, as well. It feels like nothing will happen with Carr until Rodgers’ future gets clearer, but things can happen at the combine, where the rumor mill usually works overtime.
While the quarterbacks surely will consume much of the oxygen here, there are other matters for Douglas to deal with. He surely will sit down with Nicole Lynn, the agent for Quinnen Williams, this week and we’ll see if any progress is made on an extension for Williams. Lynn also represents Quinnen’s brother
Quincy, the Jets linebacker scheduled to hit free agency.
This is the week when teams get a better feel for what the markets look like for free agents. While negotiating is technically not allowed to begin until March 13, there are plenty of quiet talks this week. Douglas also needs to get the Jets’ salary cap in shape through cuts and contract restructures. Some of those could come this week. Wide receiver Corey Davis, linebacker C.J. Mosley and wide receiver Braxton Berrios are names to watch with their contract situations.
Quincy Williams and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins headline the Jets’ free agent class and the Jets would like to bring both players back.
As for the college prospects, the Jets need to add along the offensive line. The tackles and centers are the ones for the Jets to watch this week. The top tackles in the draft are Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson and Georgia’s Broderick Jones. The top centers are Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz, Michigan’s Olusegun Oluwatimi and Ohio State’s Luke Wypler.
This is the week where it really feels like the offseason ramps up. It should be an eventful one for the Jets.