The Isles are dealing with the loss of Romanov
First of all, no one has died. Whew, now that we have dealt with that, let's move on. The Islanders are the best not-talked-about team in the NHL. The Islanders sit in second place in the Metro and second in the Eastern Conference. Statwise, those are facts at the time I am writing this article. But are the Islanders the team the numbers say they are?
That depends on how far Matthew Schaefer can take them. Matthew has been all that and then some. A mature young man who has carried the team on his shoulders. The next question is, do you believe Schaefer can do that for the whole season? Better yet, if he does, can the Islanders make the playoffs? If the answer is yes, then the Isles need to replace Romanov with an equal or better defenseman.
Pavel Mintyukov
The best option out there is Pavel Mintyukov, a big, nasty, left-handed dman. He is a steady, no-flash dman who can help on our end.
Mario Ferraro
Another possibility that comes to mind is San Jose Sharks Mario Ferraro. Again, nothing flashy offensively, but he is an NHL-calibre dman who will fill in nicely. He is steady and knows his limitations; you're not bringing him in for his offensive prowess anyway.
Final Word
In my professional opinion, the Isles are shopping for a dman. But they will try at first to see how it goes. If they continue to win, they may take the kids with them. A good GM always takes his time and will not rush into anything. They could go big game hunting, but the cost would be high.
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