The New York Islanders need a jolt to snap their six-game losing streak. With 13 games to go, could we see a call-up?
Patrick Roy is seeking answers to the New York Islanders' problems. The lineup's never-ending shifting is a tell-tale sign that the current roster lacks the oil needed to run the Roy train, and with 13 games to go, the group needs a jolt.
With Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello standing pat at the 2024 Trade Deadline -- citing that he didn't believe in making a lateral move -- there's one way to jolt the roster, and that's by recalling a prospect.
Full transparency here. Calling up a prospect who will need time to get accustomed to the NHL speed and skill isn't the best idea for a team that needed wins yesterday.
Anyone on the NHL roster right now has a stronger sense of what Roy wants, even if they aren't executing as intended.
But we are at the point where bringing up a prospect sends a message, even if all that prospect does is practice with the team.
Not only will a prospect call-up likely send a jolt through the veteran's systems and the youngsters trying to stick, but it also allows Roy to get a glimpse of potential options for the 2024-25 season.
The Islanders have three pending unrestricted free agents -- Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck, and Sebastian Aho -- and it wouldn't be a shock to see pending unrestricted free agent Oliver Wahlstrom head elsewhere this summer.
There will likely be openings on the third and fourth lines, whether they are filled internally or externally.
Following the trade deadline, rosters expanded, which means teams can roster as many players as they want as long as they remain salary-cap compliant.
According to CapFriendly, the Islanders have $1.53 million in available cap space, which means they can call up one prospect unless they waive someone or place a player on long-term injured reserve.
So, which prospect should be recalled?
If Roy is looking to call a player up who can come into the lineup and adapt the fastest to the speed of the NHL game, the answer is probably right-winger Matthew Maggio.
The Islanders' fifth-round selection in 2022 is amid his first season in Bridgeport. He has 13 goals (second on the team) and eight assists for 21 points in 50 games.
Like we have seen with rookie Kyle MacLean this season, Maggio plays a grinding style, using his defensive IQ and grit to be effective, which usually allows for a quicker transition to the NHL game.
If the Islanders want to add raw speed to the lineup, potentially in their top six, left winger Ruslan Iskhakov fits that mold.
The five-foot-eight former second-round pick from 2018 may lack a strong enough game away from the puck to be a true NHL player, but he is a skating highlight reel with what he can do with the puck on his stick.
He was on an AHL All-Star for a second straight season and leads Bridgeport with 16 goals and 26 assists in 59 games.
There aren't too many options on the backend unless the Islanders want to give 25-year-old Robin Salo (2nd round, 2017) another shot in the NHL after 32 up-and-down games at the NHL level.
The Islanders have the cap space for a call-up, and it would benefit both the player and the team at this moment.
The Islanders are back in action against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday at 1 PM, hoping to snap their skid and keep their playoff hopes alive.