The New York Islanders could be surprise buyers in the trade market this season. After missing out on the playoffs in the 2024-25 season, the team was expected to take a step further backward this campaign. Nevertheless, the Islanders, led by rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer, have played fairly well so far. New York is currently just percentage points out of postseason place.
While Islanders execs are looking more towards the future, they are being linked with a major move in the coming weeks. It was revealed on November 30 that New York was interested in trading for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek. Bleacher Report has now further linked the Islanders to the blueliner in a new article.
In the piece, the outlet claims that Hronek would be a “perfect fit” to play alongside Schaefer. A move for Hronek, 28, could also be seen as a deal for the future by the Islanders. New York previously traded top defender Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens and could use another quality blueliner. The Islanders picked up two first-round draft picks in the deal.
New York Islanders Have Top Prospect Pool, Draft Picks to Make a Major Move
GettyFilip Hronek is likely to be traded by the Vancouver Canucks this season.
New York brass could prefer to use one of these top picks to grab Hronek from Vancouver. The Canucks, however, do not seem keen on swapping their star players for just draft picks. Vancouver is considered open for business and actively listening to trade offers. Nevertheless, team president Jim Rutherford recently admitted that he is looking for young NHL players rather than picks.
The Islanders completely revamped their prospect pool in the recent offseason. Winning the draft lottery certainly helped their cause. In fact, ESPN previously ranked New York’s prospects as the 26th-best team in the league in 2024. Acquiring Schaefer and Victor Eklund via the draft has since skyrocketed the team’s rank all the way up to second.
Assuming the Islanders really want Hronek, they do have plenty of young players to help facilitate a deal. Bleacher Report suggests that New York could offer a combination of a high draft pick and a top prospect to the Canucks. Cal Ritchie, Danny Nelson, and Daniil Prokhorov were all specifically named by the outlet.
Islanders Would Need to Get Creative in Freeing up Cap Space
There are, however, potential issues in New York’s potential chase of Hronek. For starters, the defenseman earns a significant $7.5 million AAV until 2032. There are obvious positives in trading for a quality player until such a lengthy contract. The Islanders only have about $2 million in current cap space, though. This means that the Metropolitan Division club would have to free up space before making a major move.
On top of this, Hronek also has a full no-trade clause in his contract with the Canucks. The blueliner would need to personally accept any deal before it would be finalized. This might have been an issue in recent years, as the Islanders were not exactly the most attractive team. Schaefer’s arrival potentially changes this. Hronek could very well be enticed by partnering with the budding star for the near future.
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