After missing out — or choosing not to sign Nazem Kadri, depending on who you ask — the New York Islanders will look to the trade market to make the deals they want to make this offseason. This comes after inking three of their own players to new contracts on Monday.
It was believed that deals for Kiefer Bellows, Noah Dobson, and Alexander Romanov were done a while ago. It might be because the Isles failed to land Kadri that the organization started to officially announce the moves on Monday. That said, GM Lou Lamoriello noted, “Sometimes some of the best transactions you make are the ones you don’t make.” It wasn’t for a lack of trying, however. The GM added that the Islanders looked at “many different options” in the UFA market but that “the price you have to pay to upgrade at one position” could end up downgrading the team in another position.
In March, Lamoriello said, ”We’re not going to get better by just adding players. We’re going to get better by making hockey trades. That’s the conversation we’ve been having the last few days.” His inaction in the free agent market suggests he might have been sticking to his word. The Islanders have been criticized for doing very little to improve their team. It’s a team that was nowhere near a playoff club and one that fired one of the best coaches in the NHL over the past decade. On Monday, while speaking with the media he added, “There’s no disappointment where we’re at because we feel very good with who we are or else we would’ve made drastic changes… I say that with confidence and we’re looking forward to getting back at it and maybe proving everybody wrong.”
“Our team is built a certain way. I won’t apologize for it. I believe in it,” he said.
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