Early birds
Dealing done ahead of time, Islanders quiet at deadline
The Islanders got all of their business done ahead of Friday, leading to a quiet trade deadline.
Nevertheless, this season was a far cry from last season, when the Islanders were the only team to stay quiet at the deadline. This time, general manager Lou Lamoriello got the trade wheels moving league-wide when he sent Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a conditional firstround pick to Vancouver for Bo Horvat at the end of January. He made a second addition this week, trading a 2024 third-round pick to Toronto for Pierre Engvall.
The Islanders had three major needs six weeks ago: a high-end player to go next to Mathew Barzal, a depth forward and a mobile defenseman. They didn’t bat 1.000, ultimately sticking with their current core on defense, but getting two out of three (and Horvat signing an eight-year extension and quickly becoming a pivotal top line player) counts as a job well done by a GM who was under immense criticism in January.
“Obviously Bo’s brought a lot,” Noah Dobson told The Post after practice Friday. “Especially with having two centers out [Barzal and JeanGabriel Pageau], he’s played a lot of minutes in all situations. He’s helped the power play and five-on-five as well. He’s continued to produce. He’s been a great add by Lou.
“And obviously Pierre is a talented player. … He seems like he’s got a lot of speed. He’s obviously gonna help out a lot, I think as a versatile guy who can play all positions, all situations. He’s gonna be a good piece. Looking forward to seeing him tomorrow.”
The injuries to Barzal and Pageau, with timelines for a return unclear on both, is a bit of a storm cloud hanging over the Islanders right now. But with a 3-1-1 record since Barzal’s injury, they are playing good hockey and look primed for a playoff push.
Starting with a Saturday matinee against the Red Wings, the upcoming week will be massive for the Islanders, who also face Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Washington. All four of those teams are gunning for playoff positions in a wide-open Eastern Conference wild-card race.
“We know what all the games mean,” coach Lane Lambert said. “And all we can do is focus on how we play. We feel like we’ve been playing pretty well, we have to continue to do so. We know the importance of the games.”
The Islanders have found something in a defense-oriented game that can help make up for the absent players, particularly Barzal — who can change a game with his dynamic offensive presence. It is in some ways reminiscent of the style played under Barry Trotz: slow, steady, shutdown hockey. And it is working.
When Barzal got hurt in Boston a couple weeks ago, it was a gut-check for the Islanders. But their own outlook didn’t change, and everyone involved has stepped up to the plate so far. It won’t get any easier with 18 games left in the season and the playoffs far from secure, but the signs so far are good.
“I think we know it’s a high-character group in here,” Dobson said. “We all had to dig in a little deeper and chip away. I think at this point of the season, we’re in a spot where you want to be. You want to be right in the hunt. Obviously, all the games down the stretch are gonna be important, there’s lots of teams fighting for spots.
“It makes it fun, but there’s no doubt this group has lots of character. We’ll continue to show that.”