Andrew Gross: Islanders a bit on edge as trade deadline nears
The Islanders introduce Mathieu Darche as their new general manager at UBS Arena on May 29, 2025. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Speculation surrounding the Canucks’ Conor Garland withered quickly into much ado about nothing. That’s how it often goes this time of the season. Still, the Islanders remain in the middle of the rumor mill ahead of Friday’s NHL trade deadline as general manager Mathieu Darche aggressively works the phones daily to try and improve his team for its final playoff push.
Meanwhile, there was a game to play on Wednesday night as the Islanders, with a five-game winning streak and victories in eight of their last 10, opened a four-game road trip against the Ducks at Honda Center.
Blocking out all the outside noise regarding potential trades is never easy for any player — even the ones with trade protection must wonder which friends might soon be ex-teammates — but it’s a must.
“It’s hard,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau told Newsday, reckoning his name has been part of trade rumors the last four or five seasons, more so now that he’s a pending unrestricted free agent as he completes a six-year, $30 million deal.
“It’s just trying to not pay attention much. Not go on Twitter, social media, just so you can stay focused on the task. Pretty much try to control what you can. The rest? If the team wants you, they’ll get you. I’ve always prioritized my teammates and that’s my main focus.”
This is, almost to a man around the NHL, every player’s least favorite week of the season.
“Yeah, I could speak for everybody, it’s not fun,” said Bo Horvat, who was the Canucks captain when he was traded to the Islanders on Jan. 30, 2023. “You’re kind of on pins and needles, depending on your contract situation. You try not to think about it. You try to just focus on what’s going on here. We’ve put ourselves in a good position to make a really good push for the playoffs and that’s all we should be focusing on right now.”
So the Islanders, with Darche seeking to reward his team for their strong play by bolstering a lineup that has a need for an additional top-six scoring forward, are buyers in what has been described as a buyer’s market.
Darche indicated previously he is willing to part with a first-round pick in the right deal, even if that seems opposite to his stated goal upon his hiring of building a strong farm system. He’ll likely be much more reluctant to trade a top prospect since that’s more of a known commodity than a draft pick. But Darche would only consider trading such a valuable asset (or assets) for one of the best players available on the trade market.
Either the Blues’ Robert Thomas or Jordan Kyrou are in that category and it’s still unlikely Darche will, to be punny, give away the farm to St. Louis in a trade.
The Islanders have proven to be a resilient team all season and came into Wednesday’s match having won their last three after falling behind 2-0 each time.
But with production questions about left wing Jonathan Drouin, who returned to the lineup after missing Sunday’s 5-4 win over the Panthers at UBS Arena carrying a 36-game goal drought, right wing Emil Heineman, who had just one point in his previous 15 games, and Anthony Duclair, back to being a healthy scratch, yes, scoring help would be of great benefit.
Perhaps so would defense depth with Ryan Pulock day to day with an upper-body injury — believed to be a shoulder issue — he suffered against the Panthers.
The clock was ticking toward Friday, as every player was aware.
“Early in your career, it’s a little bit different, you don’t know how to handle it, you think about it a lot,” Scott Mayfield, paired with Matthew Schaefer against the Ducks in Pulock’s absence, told Newsday. “You never know, especially when you’re in the minors, if you’re going to get a text that you’re going somewhere.
“For me, now, I don’t think about it,” added Mayfield, in the third season of a seven-year, $24.5 million deal with full no-trade protection through next season, which will be his 13th in the NHL, all with the Islanders. “We’re in a good position in the standings. We believe in our team in here and I’m sure if there’s a chance to get better, they’re looking at that up top.”
Darche certainly is. Which is why these are nervous times in the Islanders’ room, just like any NHL room.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
