The New York Islanders have a surplus of defensemen ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Veteran defenseman Scott Mayfield is a player to keep an eye on before the 3 PM ET deadline on Friday.
How Should Islanders Handle Defensive Surplus At 2025 NHL Trade Deadline?
As we approach the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders">New York Islanders</a> have a surplus of defensemen.
The 32-year-old re-entered the lineup on Monday night after serving three straight games in the scratch house following a bad game against the Dallas Stars in the first game back from the 4 Nations Face-Off.
He didn't see much action in his return, playing just 9:04 minutes in a 4-0 loss to the New York Rangers.
It seems, at this point in time, head coach Patrick Roy rather play Adam Boqvist over No. 24.
If Mayfield is falling out of favor, and Roy is to be the bench boss of the Islanders going forward, it would make sense for the Islanders to try to get out from his long-term deal.
Mayfield is in the second season of a seven-year contract worth $3.5 million, a manageable cap hit for a big-body right-side defenseman who eats minutes and plays on the penalty kill.
However, Mayfield does have a full no-trade clause through the 2026-27 season.
If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would tell you there's no way Mayfield was waiving his no-trade clause. But, after seeing his role diminished at a time when the Islanders desperately needed wins, it's fair to think that Mayfield may waive if the right team comes calling.
And I think there will be teams calling, whether general manager Lou Lamoriello puts Mayfield's name out there or not.
Two teams I'd keep an eye on are the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Report: NHL Insider Names Islanders Scott Mayfield As A Trade Option For Toronto Maple Leafs
At this point in time, I don't believe Mayfield has any interest in waiving his clause. It's been a tough season for the team, but, before this past week, it had been a great bounce-back season for the long-time Islander after he sustained a broken ankle in game one of the regular season last year, something he played through for another 40 games.
We'll see how this all plays out, but big-bodied right-side defensemen don't grow on trees, and a few playoff teams could use a Mayfield-type player.
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