New York Islanders May Trade Staple Defenseman of Over 500 Games

After years of struggling to find talent, the New York Islanders are suddenly bursting with bodies on the blue line, and with No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer incoming in the next year or two, the Islanders may be forced to make a move or two.

Now, the experts at Eyes on Isles have predicted that Adam Pelech could be the player most likely to be moved, with the right side now clogged up with Scott Mayfield, Tony DeAngelo and Ryan Pulock all likely to start the season.

Pelech has played 560 games with the Islanders dating back to the 2015/16 season, and in that time he's tallied 26 goals and 161 points, and with a positive point differential in seven of those 10 seasons, he's been a very productive player.

However, he has three-years remaining on his current deal at $5.75 million per season, and with a 16 team no-trade clause, it would be some work for Mathieu Darche to get a deal done, but given the lack of playing time he'll face this season, it's a move that would make sense for both parties.

On the left side, the Isles will likely start the season with Alexander Romanov and a battle between Schaefer and Isaiah George for the final spot, but in Pelech, the Islanders have a chance to shed some salary cap and open up a space for the future as they continue their rebuild.

Already this off-season Darche has traded Noah Dobson to the Canadiens, showing that he can make the right moves when necessary, and while he won't be forced into trading Pelech, if they want to continue building things the right way, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a deal get done before the trade deadline.