Scouts watch intently as Islanders and Canucks gauge trade possibilities, with specific forwards emerging as key targets before the deadline.
The Vancouver Canucks were one of the 11 teams with scouts at UBS Arena on Sunday night for the New York Islanders' 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers.
On Monday, Islanders assistant general manager and director of player personnel, Ryan Bowness, was on hand for the Canucks' game against the San Jose Sharks.
I was told that the Islanders had poked around on Canucks forward Conor Garland previously.
The complication with Garland, 29, is that while he is in the final season of a five-year deal worth $4.95 million annually, he has a six-year extension kicking in on July 1 worth $6 million.
The upcoming extension carries a full no-move clause for the first three seasons, but his current deal offers no trade protection.
Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche currently has $6.02 million in available cap space and is looking to reward his group, if he can, a team riding a five-game winning streak, currently tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Garland, who has seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points, had a down season after recording 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) in 81 games in 2024-25.
The soon-to-be 30-year-old won't cost a first-round pick. He won't cost two second-round picks, as Vancouver got for Kiefer Sherwood in their deal with the San Jose Sharks.
Another Canucks player the Islanders would have interest in is 27-year-old Drew O'Connor, who Vancouver is getting calls on. He is in the first season of a two-year deal, which carries a $2.5 million cap hit. He has 14 goals with eight assists for 22 points in 59 games.
The Islanders did have interest in center Elias Pettersson last season, but that ship has sailed. Brock Boeser is not someone that teams have an interest in, like at all.