The New York Islanders are desperately trying to add a scoring forward to the lineup. NHL trade rumors floated around that the Isles tried to land free agent Johnny Gaudreau but could not free up enough Islanders salary cap space to make a serious offer to Gaudreau.
Ethan Sears of the New York Post reports the Islanders should target Patrik Laine as GM Jarmo Kekalainen might have some difficulty in re-signing Laine to a long-term contract after the Gaudreau signing.
The media and fan base in New York have bashed GM Lou Lamoriello for losing out on the Gaudreau signing. The Isles need to add some more offence if they want to be playoff contenders.
If Columbus comes to a realization that they can’t re-sign Laine to a long-term contract that both the team and player can agree on, look for him to be traded at some point this offseason.
The Eastern Conference has gotten much stronger with the Ottawa Senators, Columbus Blue Jackets, New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings making big moves, which will make it much more difficult for the Islanders to compete for a playoff spot if they can’t add a scorer to the team.
