How The Predators Surprising McDonagh To Tampa Trade Could Affect Islanders

Former New York Islanders head coach and current Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz just made a shocking trade.

On Tuesday, former New York Islanders head coach and current Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz made a shocking trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

For the return of a second-round selection in 2024 and a seventh-round pick in 2024, Trotz sent veteran and defenseman Ryan McDonagh back to his former team, along with the Edmonton Oilers' 2024 fourth-round pick. 

This move cleared $6.75 million off Nashville's books, a team that made the postseason as the top wild card team in the Western Conference in year one of the Trotz regime.  

Trotz's biggest focus this summer is inking goaltender Juuse Saros to an extension, which he's eligible to sign on July 1, while also getting a tad younger.

With McDonagh no longer counting against their cap, the Predators have $26.04 million in space, with five pending unrestricted free agents and one restricted free agent at the NHL level. 

How does this move impact the Islanders?

Like Nashville, the Islanders need to get a bit younger.

If New York is going to do that, it needs to create more cap space, which currently stands at $7.075 million. 

The same names keep coming up regarding trade rumors, with the likes of Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($5 million AVV through 2025-26) and Brock Nelson ($6 million AAV through 2024-25) the lead players to be on the move in terms of cap hit (Pageau) and value (Nelson). 

Two names that haven't been talked about much has been left-side defenseman Adam Pelech and right-side defenseman Ryan Pulock.

And there's a reason for that.

Pelech, who signed an eight-year extension worth $46 million ($5.75 M AAV) ahead of the 2021-22 season, and Pulock, who signed an eight-year extension worth $49.2 million ahead of the 2022-23 season, both have full no-trade clauses (NTC). 

Pelech's contract will change from an NTC to a 16-team modified no-trade clause (M-NTC) on July 1, 2025, while Pulock's M-NTC will begin ahead of the 2027-28 season. 

We aren't saying that either of these players is leaving Long Island this summer, but if there was one team, one general manager, that they'd waive their NTC to join, Trotz and the Predators seems like a good bet. 

When Trotz came to Long Island after winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, he turned Pelech into one of the best shutdown defensemen in the NHL. For a few seasons, the pairing of Pelech and Pulock was one of the league's best.

It's been two seasons since Trotz left, and neither defenseman has been the same since.

Pelech has dealt with a few head injuries, while Pulock missed time this past season with a lower-body injury. 

Trotz did say he wants to get a little younger and Pelech and Pulock are 29, while McDonagh is 34.  

Pelech could fill the hole that McDonagh leaves behind, given that they're both left-side defenders. 

If McDonaugh, who had 32 points (two goals, 30 assists) in 74 games for Nashville while playing an average of 21:47 minutes per game, brought back a second-round and seventh-round pick, could two defenders in their prime or just passing their prime bring back a strong return, like second-rounders and prospects? 

Injury history certainly plays a part in any potential trade, and the likelihood of either wearing a Sabretooth tiger logo is slim.

But is it zero?