The NHL trade deadline is days away and the New York Islanders are able to sell some assets as the playoffs look out of reach.
In the next few days, I’ll take a look at some potential players on the roster who could be traded. Let’s start with wingers Anthony Beauvillier and Zach Parise.
Beauvillier has provided a solid performance for this group over the past four seasons. He has good speed and works hard.
He also has a knack for scoring big goals in his young career. Nothing bigger than the overtime goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals last June.
After being the subject of Barry Trotz’s wholesome scratching lesson, Beauvillier showed flashes of a higher ceiling. Like most of his career, these flashes are just that, flashes. Regular season inconsistency disrupted the production of the top six forwards.
Although a tireless worker, Beauvillier was drafted and is currently being paid to contribute more offensively. Drafted 28th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Beauvillier made the team ahead of then-best prospect Mathew Barzal.
This season has not gone well for many Islanders, but Beauvillier has continued to contribute in a secondary role for the team. This past offseason, Beauvillier was rewarded with a three-year contract for his contributions and potential.
As the deadline approaches, it’s fair to say that Beauvillier hasn’t reached the potential expected by the coaching staff, management and fans.
That said, Beauvillier is still only 24 years old. He has more playoff experience than many league veterans and will always have the potential to be more.
Will a more attacking system be the answer to his attacking inconsistencies?
At the very least, Beauvillier gives a competitor a single player who can play in all situations and provide energy and speed.
For the Islanders, it’s time to bring in a better quality of wingers for centers Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson. The cap situation doesn’t allow the team to have so many underperforming wingers who carry big salaries
Lou Lamoriello should be able to go for a first-round pick for a player of Beauvillier’s skill level and age. This would provide a huge asset for retooling this summer.
It’s no secret that Parise and Lamoriello love each other very much. Not only did Lamoriello draft Parise, but he’s been trying to acquire Parise’s services for over a year.
Parise had a slow start to the season, much like the rest of the Islanders, but picked it up recently.
Going into Parise’s first year with the Islanders, expectations were to bring veteran leadership, scoring depth and some power-play help. His leadership and hard work has been second to none throughout the year. He is arguably the hardest working player on the Islanders roster.
Like many goalscorers, Parise was streaked. He had more chances to play with the front two lines and that contributed to more time on the scoresheet.
Still, it’s been a disappointing season for the production by Parise’s standards. However, he fills a role for any team looking to grapple.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Lamoriello tried to re-sign Parise for another season, but the smart play is to gauge interest from a playoff side looking for leadership and scoring depth.
