The Islanders want to free up some cap space, but will they move Mathew Barzal to do so? Meanwhile, there's speculation the Maple Leafs reached out to the Rangers about center Vincent Trocheck.
The New York Islanders tumbled out of playoff contention late in the regular season, finishing eight points out of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.
Islanders GM Mathieu Darche has only been in the job a year, but he's shown a willingness to make bold moves. He shipped defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens last June for Emil Heineman and two first-round picks. Since January, he added veterans Brayden Schenn, Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat.
The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Darche was interested in re-signing captain Anders Lee, but he needed to make other moves first. That could mean the Isles GM is planning to free up some salary-cap space, perhaps by shipping out a high-salaried player.
A Postmedia report claimed the Islanders were exploring the trade market for Mathew Barzal to clear some cap room. The 29-year-old left winger carries a $9.15 million average annual value through 2030-31.
Barzal has spent his entire NHL career with the Islanders. Winner of the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2017-18, he's their scoring leader over the past nine seasons with 534 points in 609 games.
The report also said the Utah Mammoth "kicked tires" on Barzal last summer, but decided not to make the move.
However, The Hockey News' Russell Macias and Stefen Rosner indicated the Islanders aren't actively shopping Barzal. They pointed out that teams might be making inquiries, but the playmaking forward isn't on the trade block. Macias also noted that Barzal has a 22-team no-trade list.
Speaking of New York teams, the Rangers are expected to continue listening to trade offers for Vincent Trocheck.
The 32-year-old center was the focus of considerable speculation before the March trade deadline. However, Rangers GM Chris Drury didn't receive any offers to his liking, indicating he might try again in the off-season.
It's been speculated the Montreal Canadiens were among the clubs making inquiries about Trocheck's availability at the trade deadline. It remains to be seen if they're still interested. However, Mollie Walker of the New York Post cited a source claiming the two clubs haven't spoken.
Another Canadian team could be in the mix. According to Walker, the Toronto Maple Leafs recently reached out to the Rangers about Trocheck. This occurred after the Leafs learned that Max Domi is sidelined indefinitely following complications from back surgery, putting them in the market for a second-line center.
Walker felt Trocheck could be a good fit with the Leafs. However, that depends on whether Toronto is on his no-trade list and the Pittsburgh native's willingness to go to Canada.
As for the potential return, Walker speculated it could cost the Leafs left winger Nick Robertson and defense prospect Ben Danford. The Rangers could have an eye on Matthew Knies, but the Leafs could be unwilling to part with the 23-year-old power forward.
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