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Cory Schneider Close To Deal With New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders are close to adding some more goaltending depth, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets a deal is being finalized with Cory Schneider. While LeBrun points out the connection between the free agent goaltender and Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello from their time together in New Jersey, it does somewhat complicate things in New York.

Schneider, 34, was recently bought out by the Devils after struggling with injury and inconsistency the last several seasons, and likely would have to accept the third goaltender role in the Islanders organization. The team already has veteran starter Semyon Varlamov and young phenom Ilya Sorokin in the mix, meaning unless there is another move coming—or the team is going back to the three-headed goaltending option—Schneider would likely have to spend time in the minor leagues once again.

In a condensed 2020-21 season there will be a need for goaltending depth as teams are forced to play games at a heightened pace, but it’s hard to believe that Schneider would be able to displace either of the Islanders two top goaltenders. Though he was once a legitimate starting option who even challenged for the Vezina Trophy, Schneider hasn’t posted a save percentage above .910 since the 2015-16 season.

Of course, the Islanders also employ goaltending guru Mitch Korn, who has resurrected careers before and should be able to help Schneider get things back on track, if not all the way back to his previous level. At the very least, he’ll be some veteran depth in case of injury.

Islanders Notes: Injuries, RFAs, Barzal

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New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello spoke to the media today, giving his thoughts on several topics. As Andrew Gross of Newsday tweets, that included an update on several injured players. Casey Cizikas, Adam Pelech, and Tom Kuhnhackl have all undergone successful surgeries and are expected to be ready for the start of the 2020-21 training camp (whenever that takes place).

While Cizikas and Pelech are heading into the last year of their respective contracts, Kuhnhackl will actually become an unrestricted free agent next month. The 28-year-old forward suited up in three postseason games for the Islanders and could potentially be brought back as a depth option next season.

  • While Kuhnhackl is one of several unrestricted free agent decisions the team has, there are even more to be made on restricted free agents. While players like Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock are obviously going to get qualifying offers, that may not be the case for some of the Islanders minor league players. In fact, Lamoriello expects that there will be one or two RFAs not qualified. That may be the case in many organizations around the league as teams navigate their new financial situations.
  • For Barzal though, Lamoriello isn’t worried about the upcoming negotiation. When asked about the danger of an offer sheet, Lamoriello told Gross that he is confident the team will get their players signed. The 23-year-old center is coming off another excellent season and showed he could be a postseason performer as well with 17 points in 22 games.

Finalists Announced For GM Of The Year

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The NHL has released the finalists for the Jim Gregory GM of the Year award, named after the legendary hockey executive that passed last year. Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders, Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, and Julien BriseBois of the Tampa Bay Lightning have been named as the three finalists, with the winner to be announced on Saturday. The award is voted on by a panel of league executives, print and broadcast media at the end of the second round of the playoffs.

It’s easy to point to the hiring of Barry Trotz as Lamoriello’s biggest move as GM of the Islanders, but that’s not all he’s done over the past year to push his team deep into the playoffs. Not only did the legendary executive move to secure more goaltending after letting Robin Lehner walk, but a deadline deal brought over proven playoff performer Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

There’s just something about the postseason that gets Pageau playing his best hockey and he’s proven it once again with a playoff-leading seven even-strength goals already. Pageau is a whopping +11 through 17 postseason games for the Islanders, while also winning more than 56% of his faceoffs. While Lamoriello had to give up a hefty package of draft picks to get him, Pageau won’t be leaving anytime soon; he signed a six-year, $30MM extension with the Islanders.

Nill meanwhile did most of his playoff preparation last summer. The Stars GM brought in Corey Perry and Joe Pavelski to give his club a little more bite and experience. Pavelski especially has been fantastic for Dallas in the postseason, leading the club with eight goals and playing more than any other forward on the team.

While it wasn’t a trade, the patience that has gone into the development of Denis Gurianov is paying huge dividends, with the young forward taking over as a star in this postseason. Gurianov trails only Miro Heiskanen in scoring for the Stars, with 15 points in 18 games.

BriseBois, the youngest and most inexperienced of the three finalists, would be the first to tell you that he inherited an incredible roster. He was part of the team that built it, serving as an assistant GM to Steve Yzerman, but the Lightning were already great when he took over in 2018. Still, BriseBois didn’t sit back and hope that roster would be good enough to make it through the playoffs this season.

Savvy depth adds of Patrick Maroon, Kevin Shattenkirk and Luke Schenn in the offseason are paying off now, while the scrap heap rehab of Zach Bogosian looks like a success. It’s those two deadline deals that have impressed so much though. BriseBois found a way to lengthen out his lineup by adding Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman, anything but household names, and it is paying off. The two have combined for just four goals in the postseason, but Tampa has created a group that seems to be dangerous on every single shift regardless of who is on the ice.

Islanders Notes: Salary Cap, Free Agents, Ilya Sorokin

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Many teams are facing troubling cap situations over the next two seasons (assuming the CBA passes and the cap freezes at $81.5MM). Count the New York Islanders among the troubled.

Though they don’t have any exorbitant deals, the Islanders have a whole host of contracts in the $3-6MM range. With $71.38MM already committed to their roster for next season, there’s a decent likelihood that GM Lou Lamoriello will have to let all their pending unrestricted free agents walk, per The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. That would mean Matt Martin, Derick Brassard, Tom Kuhnhackl, Andy Greene, and Thomas Greiss all hitting the open market. Then again, with many teams facing this crunch, free agents may face a depressed market, potentially allowing teams to grab some bargain short-term deals.

  • Greiss is probably the biggest on-ice contributor from that group, though if all goes well, Ilya Sorokin could join the club and take on that role. Martin might be the bigger loss in a spiritual sense. Despite a two-year hiatus in Toronto, Martin has spent nine years in New York, and his grinding style of play has made him popular among the locals. He’s also the most likely to return, as the fourth-liner may not command a whole lot in free agency after marking 0.4 point shares this season.
  • The bigger issue, Staples writes, is with the Islanders restricted free agents: namely, Mathew Barzal. Just two years removed from winning the Calder Trophy, Barzal is in line for a hefty raise, even if he settles for a bridge contract. With Ryan Pulock, Devon Toews, and potentially Sorokin (more on this later) also restricted free agents, the Islanders will look to shed a contract or two to free up enough money to keep these central young players in the fold. The team has been resistant to trading Nick Leddy, but his $5.5MM could be rerouted to players more likely to play key roles moving forward. Leddy remains a viable blueliner, and though they’re not likely to return a significant asset for him, New York can get out from under his contract if they need the money. Another former Blackhawk, Andrew Ladd, would be another trade piece, but at 35-years-old and with only 30 games played over the last two seasons, they’re not likely to find a taker for the veteran forward – nor can they get any savings from buying him out. More likely for Ladd, Staples notes, is landing on the long-term injured reserve, which would allow the Islanders to go over the cap by $5.5MM.
  • Even though signing Sorokin now will burn his one year ELC, the Islanders are probably going to do so anyway to get him in the fold, writes Staple in another piece. It will make him a restricted free agent for next season, but the Islanders appear ready to bring him in to start working with their coaches. Since the KHL doesn’t typically allow opt-outs, New York would rather bring him in and have him ready for next season rather than lose him to the KHL for another season.

Islanders Notes: Sorokin, Barzal, Injuries, Belmont Arena

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While there has been positive more than a month ago, many New York Islanders fans have been excited about the team potentially signing top goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin out of the KHL this offseason. However, with the worldwide issues of COVID-19 and little information since, NHL.com released an interview with general manager Lou Lamoriello in which the GM reiterates that the team expects Sorokin to sign a contract for next season.

The 24-year-old goaltender has dominated the KHL the last few years and is considered the best goaltender outside the NHL. He finished the 2019-20 season with a 1.50 GAA and a .935 save percentage in 40 appearances for CSKA Moscow. In the currently suspended playoffs, Sorokin has won all four of his matchups, allowing just three goals so far, with a 0.73 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Sorokin’s contract expires on April 30th, although with the coronavirus suspending play, that date could be pushed back if the KHL intends to continue their playoffs at some point.

  • Another issue that Lamoriello settled is the future contract of young star Mathew Barzal. The 22-year-old will be hitting restricted free agency this summer and the Islanders have made it clear that they intend to lock him up to a long-term deal, there are plenty of concerns that teams may attempt to raid the Islanders’ team by attempting to sign the young centerman to an offer sheet. However, Lamoriello made it clear in that interview, that the team intends to lock him up before free agency arrives and will match any offer sheet. “It is our intention to not allow it to get to that point, but should that happen, the answer is yes,” said Lamoriello. While Barzal’s numbers haven’t been close to what it was in his rookie campaign when he tallied 82 points due to head coach Barry Trotz’s defensive-first system, Barzal was looking to take a step forward this year, already having 19 goals and 60 points in 68 games.
  • The GM also noted that defenseman Johnny Boychuk and fourth-liner Casey Cizikas are both expected to be ready whenever the season resumes. Both were tough losses that affected the teams’ most recent run. Boychuk went down on Mar. 3 when he took a skate to the eye and had 90 stitches. Cizikas has been out since Feb. 11 with a leg injury. Lamoriello also added that defenseman Adam Pelech is expected to be ready for training camp. The defenseman was signaled as lost for the season after sustaining an Achilles injury on Jan. 3.
  • Lamoriello also adds that the Belmont Park Arena, the Islanders’ future home, is still on target to be completed for the 2021-22 season. The team is currently playing in two different stadiums, including the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum. The team broke ground back in September of 2019.

Johnny Boychuk Recovering After Scary Eye Injury

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The hockey world gasped last night when New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk rushed off the ice after taking a skate blade to the eye area. The lack of blood and urgency in Boychuk’s gait caused a lot of discomfort among fans and players alike, but the team has given a positive update on his situation. GM Lou Lamoriello explained today that Boychuk needed 90 stitches from a plastic surgeon to fix a laceration on his eyelid, and is expected to make a full recovery. There is no timetable for his return.

The team will not make any regular recalls to fill in for Boychuk, but could bring Thomas Hickey up under emergency conditions if they decide it is required. For now, Noah Dobson is expected to get back into the lineup in his stead and finally get a little more opportunity.

A full recovery is incredibly good news for Boychuk, but also for the Islanders who still rely on him despite his age. The 36-year old defenseman is in the fifth season of a seven-year, $42MM deal signed in 2015, and has 11 points in 64 games.

New York Islanders Pursuing Zach Parise

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According to Frank Seravalli of TSN, the New York Islanders are working to acquire Zach Parise from the Minnesota Wild. The Islanders would be sending Andrew Ladd back in a potential deal, though the trade is not complete at this point and there would likely be additional pieces involved. Parise obviously has a link to Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello after playing the first part of his career in New Jersey. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that Parise is willing to waive his no-move clause if it does come together.

Snapshots: Sorokin, Bruins, Fines

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Some confusion erupted today when reports surfaced that New York Islanders draft pick Ilya Sorokin’s rights had been traded to the Chicago Blackhawks, but things were quickly cleared up. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express once again reported that Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello has met with Sorokin’s agent at gives it a “99% chance” that the young goaltender comes to the NHL next season.

Sorokin is considered by many to be the best goaltender outside of the NHL, after completely dominating the KHL since he was a teenager. Following his 28-6-4, .940 sv% season with CSKA Moscow in 2018-19, he has a 25-9-3 record this year with a .936. His deal in Russia expires at the end of April, so Islanders fans will have to wait a little longer to find out if he’s really planning on coming over.

  • With the big move today to acquire Ondrej Kase from the Anaheim Ducks, the Boston Bruins may be considered out of the running for some other names. Not so fast, according to several reporters around the league. Eric Engels of Sportsnet tweets that the Bruins are still in the running for Ilya Kovalchuk, while Joe McDonald of The Athletic (subscription required) suggests that when Boston GM Don Sweeney said he’s “in it to win it” today he could mean players like Brandon Saad or Joe Thornton are still a possibility. At any rate, the Bruins certainly aren’t a team to forget about now that they’ve moved David Backes’ contract off the books (well, at least 75% of it).
  • A pair of fines were handed out today from the Department of Player Safety, who are still working despite the deadline taking up most of the news cycle. Matt Niskanen was given a $5,000 fine for his vicious slash across the hands of Gustav Nyquist, while Scott Sabourin gets a $1,881.72 fine for unsportsmanlike. Sabourin squirted water from the Ottawa Senators bench. These fines are the maximum allowable and based on player salary.

Trade Deadline Primer: New York Islanders

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With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the New York Islanders.

The New York Islanders have posted almost exactly the same numbers that they had at this point a year ago. However, the difference this year that the competition in the Eastern Conference is quite a bit more challenging and leaves the Islanders barely holding onto a playoff spot at the moment. However, perhaps the most challenging issue facing the Islanders was the injury to defenseman Adam Pelech. The blueliner never got much attention when healthy, but the top-pairing defenseman is being sorely missed and with Barry Trotz’ lack of faith in rookie Noah Dobson, the other five defenseman have been assuming extra minutes to fill in for Pelech, suggesting the team needs to add some help at that position in the next few days.

Record

33-18-6, third in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$23.849MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th
2021: NYI 1st, NYI 2nd, NYI 3rd, NYI 4th, NYI 5th, NYI 6th, NYI 7th

Trade Chips

With the team looking to make an impact in the playoffs, it’s unlikely that general manager Lou Lamoriello would consider moving any of his pending unrestricted free agents, which include forwards Matt Martin, Derick Brassard, Tom Kuhnhackl and goaltender Thomas Greiss. That doesn’t leave too many trade chips for the veteran GM to play with.

The team does have all of its draft picks for the next two years and might be willing to move a first or second-rounder to get a deal done and bring over some needed depth. Another key asset is the team’s cap space. They have more than $28MM in cap space, if they need it, and could use that to take on a significant contract from a cap-starved team for a price.

The team also has a large number of prospects coming up the system with many of them already in the AHL. While it’s unlikely that the team moves a top prospect, Trotz as well as Lamoriello, are well known for preferring veterans, which means they might not mind moving a prospect for a significant piece now and with the challenges of recruiting free agents to Long Island, they may have to include a young piece to acquire a player with term. A player like Kieffer Bellows, who was brought up recently likely to showcase his talents, could be an option if the price is right.

Another option would be finding a partner for embattled forward Joshua Ho-Sang. After demanding a trade and sitting out for two and a half months, the 24-year-old forward has played well since returning to the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers, scoring two goals and eight points in 12 games. Teams weren’t interested in H0-Sang when the team placed him on waivers, due to his well-known attitude issues, but a team might be willing to take a chance on him now just to see what he has left.

Five Players To Watch For: F Kieffer Bellows, F Michael Dal Colle, F Joshua Ho-Sang, F Tom Kuhnhackl, F Andrew Ladd

Team Needs

1) Veteran defense: With Pelech out and Dobson struggling in his rookie campaign, the Islanders are in desperate need of some veteran depth on their blueline and are extremely likely to add to that position before the trade deadline. While there are quite a few options available to Lamoriello, there are some obvious options, including a player that he is familiar with in Ottawa defenseman Ron Hainsey. With a group of young blueliners ready to step into their NHL lineup, Ottawa may be ready to move Hainsey.

2) Upgrade To Top-Six: While the team is well known for its defense, the Islanders could use an upgrade to their offense. New York has six solid players there, but adding some offense could allow the team to move some of those players to the third line, which hasn’t been that effective this season with the exception of Brassard. Again Lamoriello is quite familiar with Ilya Kovalchuk, who Montreal is considering moving, which might be a perfect fit with the Islanders. The team may also want to bring in a quality top-six player with term left who can be a significant long-term upgrade as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Candidate: Ilya Kovalchuk

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, we continue to profile players in the weeks ahead that have a good chance to be dealt by February 24th.

There was plenty of anticipation when Ilya Kovalchuk announced he wanted to return to the NHL after five straight years in the KHL. The former star wanted another crack at a Stanley Cup title, but made the mistake of signing a contract with the Los Angeles Kings (a three-year, $18.75MM deal), who were hoping for one more title run. Between the team’s struggles and Kovalchuk’s inability to fit into the Kings’ lineup, he bottomed out this year, even being asked to sit out before finally being placed on unconditional waivers. However, the Montreal Canadiens rescued him where he has thrived eight short games.

Having revived his career with the Canadiens in just a short amount of time, Kovalchuk suddenly could become quite the trade chip who is quite inexpensive as he is under a minimum contract and might be a big win-win for general manager Marc Bergevin.

Contract

Once a free-agent, Kovalchuk was free to sign with anyone and anywhere, but his main goal was to sign with an NHL team and the Montreal Canadiens offered him that chance, signing him to a one-year, two-way contract worth $700K.

2019-20

Kovalchuk’s numbers may look adequate when looking at his numbers with the Kings, but the veteran didn’t fit in with new head coach Todd McLellan and on Nov. 12, was informed that he would not be in the lineup for the “foreseeable future.” The veteran averaged just 15 minutes on the ice and often found himself on the fourth line when with the Kings. He was eventually placed on unconditional waivers, while Los Angeles is still responsible for the final year of his deal next season at $6.25MM.

The Montreal Canadiens, however, took a chance, signing the 36-year-old to a one-year deal to revive his career. And that he’s done, as he has four goals and eight points in eight games with the Canadiens and looking like the player that many expected when he signed with the Kings back in 2018.

Season Stats

TOTAL: 25 GP, 7 goals, 10 assists, 17 points, -7 rating, 12 PIMs, 57 shots, 16:45 ATOI, 51.5 CF%
L.A.: 17 GP, 3 goals, 6 assists, 9 points, -10 rating, 12 PIMS, 35 shots, 15:25 ATOI, 49.3 CF%
MON: 8 GP, 4 goals, 4 assists, 8 points, +3 rating, 0 PIMS, 22 shots, 19:36 ATOI, 55.2 CF%

Potential Suitors

The key reason that Kovalchuk might provide significant value isn’t just for his offensive prowess, but because he comes with a minimum salary, which could mean that top playoff teams with little to no cap room should easily be able to afford the 36-year-old.

That could leave several thoughts on where he might go, but one thought could be a trade to the New York Islanders. The Islanders have solid goaltending and a quality defense, but the rank 21st in the league in scoring and 19th in the league in power-play efficiency. Kovalchuk, who is well-known by general manager Lou Lamoriello (he signed him to the infamous 15-year, $100MM contract), could boost both those numbers as he could fit into the team’s lineup perfectly and even play a role on the team’s second power-play unit. The Boston Bruins could also be looking to add a cheap option to their top six, although the team does have some cap room to work with if needed.

In the west, teams such as Dallas and Edmonton could use Kovalchuk’s skills. Dallas could use another impact forward for their middle nine, while Edmonton is desperately in need of forwards and have little cap room to work with, making Kovalchuk an obvious option.

Likelihood Of A Trade

Much of whether Kovalchuk will be traded at the trade deadline will be determined by what Bergevin decides to do with him. The Canadiens seem to be a better team with him in the lineup and if Bergevin can convince Kovalchuk to sign an extension before the trade deadline, then Montreal might be better off holding onto him. However, if the team cannot find a way to lock him up or if other teams are offering significant assets that Bergevin can’t pass up, then the team will likely be better off trading him away and just remembering they signed him for almost nothing. Because the worst thing that could happen to Montreal is not trading him and then watching him leave at the end of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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