It’s Time to Talk Turkey — Do the Isles Go All In?

The Isles are at a crossroads this season; they have to make a decision about the direction of this team. In the last blog, I wrote about a replacement for Romanov. Do I dare say the loss of Kyle Palmieri is worse? Where is the offense coming from? If they’re serious about making the playoffs, the Isles need to address the issue.

Unless another forward steps up to help Bo Horvat, the offensive production will be a problem. The Isles’ forwards are going to have to pick it up. I am looking at you, Jonathan Drouin, with three goals this season. He needs to improve. Anders Lee, with five goals, will have to pick up his game, too. The one player who has played well is the unsung hero, Emil Heinemann. He is the only other player in double digits.

The next quandary is what to do with Matt Barzal. Do the Islanders separate the two to add scoring depth? Could Barzal survive on his own? I think he has to for the Islanders’ success. Last but not least, the Isles need the bottom list to pinch in. The scoring as a committee will be full force.

The best solution is the trade route. Can the Isles find a suitable partner who is willing to talk turkey? Pardon the pun, can the Isles find the right dressing to bring the team to the table? It all comes down to whether the New York Islanders want to go all in or play it cool and try to pull off a hockey trade.

Final Word

There is one player I would put high on my list if I were the New York Islanders. Let’s qualify this before I go ahead—I am in no way suggesting that the New York Islanders are talking to the Calgary Flames. This is only a suggestion, not inside info. That being said, the play I would highly recommend is the New York Islanders, with Blake Coleman from the Calgary Flames.

Do you think the Islanders are a playoff team? It’s material at this moment because the fact is, they are within shouting distance of making the playoffs. Like it or not, those are the facts. Whether you feel they are a playoff team or not doesn’t change their position. The New York Islanders will have a choice to make by the deadline. Do they go for it, or will they sell and get ready for the draft next year? That is anyone’s guess. I would look into replacing the injured players and take it from there.

Randy