Islanders Mailbag: Larkin Drama, Palat's Future & The Road Ahead
Could the Islanders pursue Dylan Larkin? Will Ondrej Palat be on the team? How far away is this team from being true Stanley Cup contenders?
With the season in the rearview mirror, Free Friday is shifting into offseason mode—with a weekly New York Islanders mailbag where your questions take center stage.
And don’t get it twisted: just because the games have stopped doesn’t mean things are slowing down here.
From exclusive interviews and insider intel to in-depth columns and behind-the-scenes access, The Elmonters isn’t going anywhere—keeping that Islanders pulse alive all summer long.
Before we get to your questions, let’s get to the Dylan Larkin news.
The 29-year-old Detroit Red Wings captain, who has five seasons left on his deal worth $8.7 million annually, has requested a trade.
Despite the Islanders having so many centers, there’s no question that Larkin is the type of offensive player the Islanders on Long Island have been looking for.
Larkin’s next destination is up to him, given that he has a full no-trade clause.
The question is, what are the Red Wings looking for, and what are the Islanders willing to give up?
While Mathew Barzal rumors swirled earlier this week — he is not on the trade block — is that someone the Islanders would be willing to part with to land Larkin, or is Detroit looking more for picks and prospects?
The Red Wings have missed the playoffs in 10 straight seasons and have been stuck in a rebuild with, now, no real signs of getting out of it. But, Yzerman likely wants NHL players in return since he’s not trying to take multiple steps back, even if he has to trade his captain.
Unless Barzal is being dangled, since I don’t think top prospects Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson are available, I have a hard time seeing the Islanders outbidding teams for Larkin’s skill set.
The only way I truly see Larkin in Blue & Orange is if he tells the Red Wings that’s where he wants to play.
Okay, now to your questions!
ROSNER: I really do think the answer is Ondrej Palat. I don’t think Pierre Engvall will make the NHL roster, despite his speed being something the Islanders need. While I do think pending restricted free agent Max Shabanov makes the team and plays, his inability to stay healthy in season one gives me pause about picking him to win a games-played race. Palat is likely one of the Islanders’ fourth-line wingers, as I don’t see them moving on from him this summer.
ROSNER: I think when you select 13th overall, it’s more about taking the best player available. Drafting for positional need in the NHL isn’t as effective as in the NBA or NFL, given the timeframe to the NHL level. The Islanders have a clear need at RHD, but if any player falls out of the projected top 10, I think you have to take them. I’m really high on Wyatt Cullen.
ROSNER: I don’t think the Islanders will buy out Palat or any player for that matter. I think that, while Palat struggled after being acquired from the New Jersey Devils, he’s going to get a chance to right his wrongs. Remember, Darche took a chance on a player he knows pretty well from their Tampa days, so I don’t think he’d pull the plug as he did with Jonathan Drouin. I think the most likely cap-clearing move is dealing Anthony Duclair, who has two seasons left at $3.5 million annually. It just seems like a fresh start is needed, and I think Duclair is someone who would be okay with moving on.
ROSNER: Sure, it’s an easy way to shed cap space, and the Islanders would save $3.3 million this season, with a cap penalty of $1.65 million in 2027-28. I don’t see Darche doing it. It’s one thing to be cutthroat, as we continue to see with Chris Drury on the New York Rangers’ side of things. As mentioned, Palat and Darche have a relationship, and Darche acquired him, knowing he had a term remaining on his deal. I don’t think it was a “well, if he struggles, we’ll just buy him out” kind of situation. Listen, I could be wrong, but I see Palat as someone who is skating on the Islanders’ fourth line, regardless of his cap hit. If Darche thinks Palat can be a stable fourth-liner, there’s no point in taking on the future cap penalty. Depending on how the season goes, Darche could always try to flip Palat ahead of the 2027 NHL Trade Deadline.
ROSNER: I mean, it’s going to sound cliché, but it’s just about keeping things simple and getting shots on net with traffic in front. I spoke with former Islanders and NHL forward Rob Schremp about it, and he said that when he watched film of the Islanders' power play, he rarely saw the puck carrier look toward goal. I think it’s time to run the power play through Matthew Schaefer and not Mathew Barzal. I think it’s important to have two flanks that are one-time options, given Schaefer’s ability to make no-look passes. The Islanders still have to hire a power-play coach, too.
ROSNER: I think if the Islanders don’t re-sign Lee, they could look externally to upgrade with a player like Mason Marchment. But it truly depends on whether Darche can bring in more offensive talent and how much cap space remains following the move(s). If the Islanders choose to allocate their cap space elsewhere, then I think someone like Victor Eklund could start at the NHL level in a middle-six role. Outside of Eklund, I don’t think the Islanders have another young player ready to crack the lineup yet.
ROSNER: I think they are a few pieces away from being a true Stanley Cup contender. They have the goaltending and the game-changing defender, but they lack the top-six talent that Cup contenders have, which is hard to get, especially on the trade market. For the Islanders to become Cup contenders, it will likely come through prospect development, which would take some time. So, it’s really hard to gauge a timeline, especially with major roster turnover not expected until next summer. Let’s say 3-5 years unless Darche brings in that top-tier talent.
ROSNER: Well, the reason Utah made sense as a package was that they had the fourth overall pick, and the Islanders were trying to move up in the first round to select James Hagens. I don’t think the Islanders would move Barzal for picks and prospects, but I also don’t see anyone on Utah’s roster they’d be willing to move for Barzal at this time. Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley as a 1-2 punch is legit.
ROSNER: I think a more out of left field trade would be Darche moving Alexander Romanov, who has seven more seasons left on his deal at $6.25 million annually. The only reason I say this is because Romanov’s trade protection doesn’t kick in until July 1, 2027, but I have no reason to think that Darche doesn’t believe in the player he signed long-term. Casey Cizikas, who has one season left at $2.5 million, is another left-field trade just because he hasn’t really been talked about. The Islanders have a ton of centers. I don’t think either trade happens, but those are the ones that would be out of left field for me.
Fun couple of weeks with Darche moves approaching. He has done well and the team is making that transition we all wanted to see. We do have some very talented prospects with confidence and Swag. Let’s see what he does with that 13th pick. I do think there will be some guys that unexpectedly drop. Darche will also field offers for the pick. Not signing any of our UFA’s or RFA’s is a step in the right direction. Off loading DuClair is a must, he has embarrassed himself. Maybe you bury him in Hamilton, just don’t carry him on the big club’s roster. The big leap forward is in these young prospects. Hopefully 🤞 they are ready this year. With Pete behind the bench along with Bo’s captaincy and a culling of the bottom of the roster we should get into the playoffs. If that is accomplished along with integrating the young guys Darche has done extremely well. The painful end of the year laid out our problems, and made a lot of the decisions easier. New Coach New Personnel New Captain NEW DIRECTION!
Larkin is not a real upgrade from Barzel. I don’t see any trade match between Islanders and Wing. Plus Larkin most likely wants to go to Florida, Vegas, Colorado, or Minnesota. He is just frustrated who can blame him. Dude wants to play in the playoffs and on a perennial contender. As far as Palat let him play out his contract on the fourth line. He is a great dude to have on your team, and just might have a good season with that deal and pressure ending. He is a champion unlike the rest of the bottom of our roster.