With Cap Space Available, Darche’s Likely Path
The Islanders continue to go the internal route to fill Romanov's spot in the lineup. The waiver wire hasn't been an option.
EAST MEADOW, NY — The New York Islanders are passing the Alexander Romanov-spot baton to Adam Boqvist on Friday night against the Vancouver Canucks.
Rookie defenseman Travis Mitchell had played nine of the last 10 games in that spot alongside Scott Mayfield, but was returned to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on Monday.
Fellow rookie Marshall Warren is back up for his third stint of the season, but will serve as the club’s seventh defenseman.
“We just try different things,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said following Tuesday’s morning skate. “At the start of the year, we said we’re going to try different things with our lines. Losing Romy, it was a big loss for us. I mean, he was playing really well, and then Boqvist came in and started playing on the left side. We were not sure if that was a good fit for him on the left side; that’s why we tried Mitchell there, and I thought he played really well. We saw what Warren could do as well. So we’re going to try different things, and that’s how it’s going to be all year for the rest of the year. And we’re going to try different things. And tomorrow, we put Boqvist back in, and it’s up to him to take advantage of this opportunity.”
I asked Roy what he needs to see from Boqvist to remain in the lineup for a string of games.
“It’s tough. I feel like it’s tough for a righty on the left side. So I want to see how he’s catching those passes,” Roy said. “What do you do on the rush against net front stuff? So I mean, it’s an opportunity. And I really love the way he’s acted. I mean, seriously, he’s been a great teammate, and he’s been doing everything right, and so I’m happy to see him play.”
If Boqvist struggles, the expectation is that Warren will get in. If neither makes the most of his ice time, then expect George to get a look.
Who knows, maybe Cole McWard gets a look, too.
The ability to rely on internal options is essential for every franchise, as going the external route will always be more costly. And right now, with the trade deadline a few months away and more buyers than sellers given the standings, the cost of even depth rentals is astronomical.
Outside of internal options, the waiver wire is the second-cheapest option.
Last season, we saw general manager Lou Lamoriello claim Boqvist off waivers from the Florida Panthers. The season before, it was Mike Reilly off waivers, from the Panthers, too.
However, because the waiver-wire order is determined in a particular way, it has made it difficult for the Islanders to fill roles that way.
If someone is placed on waivers before Nov. 1, then the wire order is determined by reverse standings from the past season. After Nov. 1, the order is determined by the reverse order of the current season.
Because of the Islanders' standings, which have risen astronomically over the last few weeks toward the top of the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference, that’s hurt their standing on the waiver wire.
Obviously, that’s a major positive to be that high, especially with how many players the Islanders have lost due to injury.
But, as they navigate the Romanov loss, they’ve been unable to use the waiver wire to their advantage.
LHD Vladislav Kolyachonok, whom the Boston Bruins claimed on Dec. 16 after the Dallas Stars waived him, could have been a substantial addition had he fallen to the Islanders.
At $775,000, it would be hard to think the Islanders didn’t put in a claim.
Boston sat 22nd on the waiver wire. The Islanders sat 27th.
On Thursday, the Philadelphia Flyers placed LHD Egor Zamula on waivers. The Islanders sit 25th on the waiver wire (26th in reverse standings, but Philly doesn’t count).
The odds that the 25-year-old falls to the Islanders is slim. But, if not, he screams Islanders given his strong underlying numbers and ability to eat some more minutes than the fill-ins thus far.
Zamula is from Chelyabinsk, the same hometown as Maxim Shabanov.
If the Islanders exhaust their internal options and they can’t add on the waiver wire, that’s when they can use their Long-Term Injured Reserve money to bring in reinforcement(s) — closer to the trade deadline, which is on March 6.
The Islanders can go big-game hunting, given the boatload of prospects; parting with prospects after just restocking a barren pool wouldn’t be ideal for Darche, especially for a rental.
In theory, he had the pieces to acquire Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. Obviously, with Schaefer here, Hughes was a WANT, not a NEED, but the point still stands.
When it comes to Romanov, yes, his initial timeline was five to six months, which would keep him out the rest of the regular season — maybe a potential option in the playoffs.
Regardless, Romanov, who is in the first season of an eight-year deal worth $6.25 million annually, will be on the team in 2025-26. So, his “replacement” is short-term, not long-term.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the Islanders called the San Jose Sharks about former defenseman Nick Leddy. I wouldn’t be shocked if they reached out to the Detroit Red Wings regarding Erik Gustafsson, who the Islanders had on a PTO a few seasons ago.
I wonder about a defenseman like Seattle Kraken’s LHD Jamie Oleksiak, a 32-year-old, who is in the final season of a five-year deal worth $4.6 million annually.
There are options, but before giving up assets, even if it’s a mid-round draft pick for a bottom-pairing LHD, Darche will trust what he has in Bridgeport first, with the waiver wire order not a reliable option.
New York Islanders Make Annual Hospital Visits
The New York Islanders made their annual holiday hospital visits today. The players and mascot, Sparky, visited seven hospitals throughout the region, including: Cohen Children’s Medical Center, New Hyde Park; Stony Brook Hospital, Stony Brook; St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital, Bayside; Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow; Good Samaritan Hospital, West Islip; NYU Langone Hospital-Long Island, Mineola; and Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn.
Players visited hospital playrooms and children’s bedside as well, distributing toys, providing autographs, and taking pictures.
