In the latest New York Islanders mailbag, Stefen Rosner answers questions about the upcoming roster decisions, Zach Parise's fit and more.

Good morning and Happy Holidays. 

Welcome to the return of the NHL with 14 games this Wednesday following the three-day Christmas Break.

After a 5-4 win Saturday night over the Carolina Hurricanes, the New York Islanders entered the break in sole possession of second place in the Metropolitan Division.

They return to action Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who they will face twice before the New Year. 

Will Danny Nelson and Brock Nelson (both 6'3 centers from Minnesota) ever be on the active roster and in the lineup at the same time? @goIf_TM

Danny Nelson, who the Islanders drafted in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, their first pick of the draft, is currently a freshman at Notre Dame and can be there for four years. 

Brock Nelson's contract ends following the 2024-25 season, but there's no reason to think he won't be signing an extension. 

So, if Danny plays four years of college hockey and then is ready for the NHL for the 2026-27 season, and Brock signs a three-year extension, it's quite possible they share the ice together. 

Nelson and forward prospect Quinn Finley, the Islanders' third-round pick in 2022, are currently representing Team USA at the IIHF World Junior Championships. 

Any word on the "P's" return? And or Mayfield? @horror420show

One would think that Scott Mayfield, who was seen wearing a splint on one of his fingers, will be the first defenseman to return to the lineup, maybe as soon as tonight against Pittsburgh. 

Adam Pelech, who suffered a wrist injury, is skating on his own but has yet to rejoin the team. Ryan Pulock has not started skating after taking a shot off the right ankle. 

It could be a bit before we see Pulock return. 

Who is a realistic top-six winger trade target to add some scoring punch, as we know that Lou will probably move the 1st round pick!@SteelerMarty

Right now, the Islanders are averaging 3.12 goals per game, the 15th best in the NHL, but are allowing 3.18 goals per game. The need is likely a shutdown defenseman since the offense, especially the top six, is playing like a true top six for the first time since...

But adding offense is never a bad idea, so here are three names the Islanders could be interested in: Anaheim Ducks' center/winger Adan Henrique ($5.825 M), San Jose Sharks winger Anthony Duclair ($3 M) and Calgary Flames centerman Elias Lindholm ($4.85 M). 

The Islanders have $3.8 million in cap space, but that's because Pelech is on the long-term injured list. They will need to clear $1.95 million just to activate him, so acquiring any forward would mean the need to clear substantial cap space. 

The top names, like Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, would likely cost more than the Islanders can afford, especially with little to no cap space. 

Everyone is healthy and Parise signs. What does the roster look like?@ryanjenkins11

If Parise signs for the league minimum ($750,000), here's how I think the roster will look.

F: Lee, Horvat, Barzal, Engvall, Nelson, Palmieri, Parise, Pageau, Holmstrom, Fasching, Cizikas, Clutterbuck, Gauthier, Martin

D: Pelech, Pulock, Romanov, Dobson, Reilly, Mayfield, Aho,

G: Ilya Sorokin, Semyon Varlamov

I think there's a strong chance that defenseman Bolduc ends up being placed on waivers in an effort to sneak him down to Bridgeport, potentially along with his current defense partner, Robert Bortuzzo. 

Forward Oliver Wahlstrom finds himself involved in a trade package of some sort. 

I do not see a situation in which Matt Martin is placed on waivers. 

What does Wahlstrom's future look like? Personally feel like he's not fully recovered from last year's injury. I would hate to see him flourish for another team, but I can't see him breaking the lineup any time soon. @CFree614

Wahlstrom's time on the Islanders may be coming to a close. The injury, which happened a year ago, is no longer an excuse as both head coach Lane Lambert and Lou Lamoriello expect more from the 23-year-old. 

It's certainly tough to get into a rhythm when your starts are sporadic, but it's the NHL, and you need to make the most of your minutes if you want to stay in the lineup. 

When Julien Gauthier got hurt, which allowed Wahlstrom to return to the lineup after an eight-game absence, one thought maybe No. 26 would get a few games to show something. But when Gauthier was ready to return, the immediate removal of Wahlstrom from the lineup tells us that he's not someone the Islanders think can help them on a nightly basis, or he'd be playing. 

Matt Martin's days on the Islanders 4th line should be over. EmeraldIsles43

It's sad to see, but Martin, who is off injured reserve, seems to be a healthy scratch at this point, given that he's practiced for weeks now without getting an opportunity since suffering an upper-body injury on Nov. 15. 

With the speed of the game getting to Martin earlier this season and the fact that Hudson Fasching has added speed and youth to the fourth line, I don't see Martin getting back in anytime soon unless there are multiple injuries to the forward group.

Wahlstrom seems to be the 13th forward as of now. 

Do you think Jake Guentzel is a realistic option? @DonatoCampane

No, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel isn't a realistic option for the Islanders.

The 29-year-old is off to a strong start in 2023-24, with 35 points (14 goals, 21 assists) in 32 games, so he's going to cost a lot, especially for a team inside the Metropolitan Divison.

Pittsburgh would likely start the conversation by asking for a conditional first-round pick and a top prospect, which would likely end up in a bidding war. 

The Islanders have the pick, but at this rate, their 2024 first-round pick wil not be a valued top pick, and they do not have the prospects to put themselves at the top of the conversation. 

Guentzel is a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $6 million, which contains a modified no-trade clause (12 teams he doesn't want to play for). He is likely the top name that will float around at the trade deadline. 

What do you think Sorokin needs to do with more consistency to get back to his form from last season? @raisethebarzal

I just think he needs to settle down in his crease and get back to the basics. Early on in the season, he was very deep in his crease, but he's so much more effective when he's at the top of the paint, especially with the amount of traffic the Islanders allow. 

If he can play more of the angles game, like Semyon Varlamov, he won't need to stop three to four shots per sequence because his rebound control will be much stronger.

Coming out of the crease and attacking the shooter is a confidence thing, and while I don't think Sorokin's confidence is lacking, I think he needs to play a bigger game because, too often, he's putting himself at a disadvantage. 

Spaces were good the other night… but it still sounds like some fans are not fans of Lane. Do you feel like he's safe for the rest of the season? @TopShotYoda 

Given Lamoriello's track record, I don't think any coach is ever truly safe. But with the Islanders getting points in 17 of their last 19 games and currently holding down the second seed in the Metropolitan Division, I think it's safe to say that he's safe...for now. 

But if the Islanders go on one of those elongated losing streaks, I'm sure the "Fire Lambert" crowd will be out in full force. 

Does Reilly sit if all 3 defensemen return? He has made a difference @johnflat

No, I don't think Reilly comes out of this lineup. The waiver-wire pickup of the season may have been instrumental in the Islanders' offensive production since he arrived, using his wheels and IQ to exponentially help the transition game. 

In my book, he is ahead of Aho because Reilly can not only evade danger and turn up the ice while staying on his feet but, at six-foot-one, compared to Aho's five-foot-10, he is a bigger presence, especially in the defensive zone. 

You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season at twitch.tv/hockeynightny.

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