Looking Forward In Reverse, Islanders Need Game-Breakers
The Islanders have tried to improve their offense, but too often they’ve plugged holes rather than landed the true impact top-six scorers they’ve needed.
On Saturday night, Carolina Hurricanes forward Nikolaj Ehlers scored the overtime winner against the Montreal Canadiens to even the series at 1-1.
The goal was another reminder of the type of offensive talent the New York Islanders have spent years searching for.
Ehlers is coming off the best regular season of his 11-year NHL career, posting 71 points (26 goals, 45 assists), while adding six points (four goals, two assists) through nine playoff games entering Sunday.
His combination of speed, skill, and finishing ability made him one of the NHL’s most intriguing trade and free-agent targets over the last two years, including for the Islanders.
Ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, on June 11, 2024, I reported that the Islanders had inquired about Ehlers, who at the time had one season remaining on his contract with the Winnipeg Jets at a $6 million cap hit.
Despite speculation surrounding his future, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff ultimately held onto Ehlers as Winnipeg chased a Stanley Cup after winning the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy.
The Jets were eliminated in the second round, and Ehlers eventually hit free agency, later signing a six-year contract worth $8.5 million annually with Carolina.
The Islanders’ interest in Ehlers came during an interesting point for the organization.
Ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, New York had recently replaced Lane Lambert with Patrick Roy and remained in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Despite the long-standing need for elite scoring on Long Island, the focus at that deadline was more centered around fixing the team’s defensive structure and blue-line depth, with their in-zone play a major concern since the glory days of Barry Trotz and back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances.
Names like Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun, Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, and Nashville Predators defenseman Tyson Barrie were among the players on the Islanders’ radar.
Ultimately, general manager Lou Lamoriello opted to stand pat at the deadline, with the Islanders finding a way to make the playoffs, clinching third place in the Metropolitan Division in Game No. 81 after a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils.
They were then eliminated in five games by the Hurricanes, the second straight season Carolina sent them packing.
That summer, the Islanders knew they needed to add offense to their lineup.
Ehlers made sense.
One of the knocks on Ehlers was his injury history, as he had played a full 82-game season just three times over his, at that point, nine-year career.
But when healthy, he was dominant, especially during the 2023-24 season at five-on-five.
“Ehlers led the Jets in five-on-five points per minute (again) in 2023-24 and has led all Jets in points per minute of ice time over the duration of his current contract. Last season, the Jets played him less often than third-line right winger Mason Appleton.” — The Athletic’s Murat Ates
One issue for the Islanders at that point was cap space.
They had roughly $6.43 million available heading into the summer and had recently signed top European free agent Maxim Tsyplakov to a one-year entry-level contract worth $950,000.
If the Islanders were going to acquire Ehlers, money likely had to go out.
At the same time, Cheveldayoff had little reason to force a move. Ehlers still had one year remaining on his contract, and Winnipeg believed it was a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
The Islanders, meanwhile, had a relatively barren prospect pool but did possess their 2024 first-round pick along with future draft capital.
However, the Jets were believed to want players who could help immediately rather than futures, an ask that remained throughout the 2024-25 season and ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Islanders ultimately held onto their 2024 first-round pick and selected Cole Eiserman at No. 20 overall.
Still needing offense, the Islanders instead signed Anthony Duclair to a four-year contract worth $3.5 million annually, hoping he could provide the secondary scoring punch they lacked in their top six.
A summer later, the Islanders were once again connected to Ehlers after he opted to test free agency following Winnipeg’s second-round exit.
He still fit exactly what the Islanders needed.
Instead, he signed with Carolina, which is now reaping the benefits while the Islanders continue searching for that proven top-six scorer.