This post was originally published on this site.
Let’s take Mathieu Darche at his word and assume the Islanders’ general manager is both open for business and, if the opportunity arises, willing to make a big splash.
The next question, then, is who exactly would he be willing to jump in the deep end to try and get?
A year ago, this trade deadline had a chance to come with real fireworks, when the likes of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov were all set to become free agents in the summer of 2026. All three of those players have signed extensions, though, and the NHL’s parity means that not many teams have pivoted to becoming sellers as yet.
Other than Quinn Hughes, who was already traded to the Wild, and Artemi Panarin, who is believed likely to move ahead of the deadline after the Rangers informed his camp he won’t receive a contract extension, there’s not a long list of stars set to be traded this year.