The New York Islanders [http://thn.com/isles] are a good hockey team. They are a team that could certainly make the playoffs and do damage, even if they never get grouped into the "Stanley Cup contender" conversation. However, one way to get into that conversation is by filling a significant hole on the backend: an elite right-handed defenseman who can be paired alongside No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer for the next five-plus seasons. That player may be residing in Vancouver in the form of Filip Hronek [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/players/new-york-islanders-filip-hronek-noah-dobson-alexander-romanov-contract-extension]. The 28-year-old defenseman, who has five seasons left on his deal at $7.25 million annually, has a full no-move clause, which means he has complete say on where he ends up. Parlay that with Vancouver's struggles and reports that they are willing to trade their veterans outside of Quinn Hughes -- more likely unrestricted free agents -- there are reasons to think Hronek could be in play -- that is, if the right team comes calling. Now, Hronek does have a connection to the Islanders. When the Canucks traded Bo Horvat [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/bo-horvat-stays-hot-islanders-shut-out-rangers-5-0-to-snap-msg-curse] to the Islanders on Jan. 30, 2023, they acquired the Islanders' 2023 first-round pick as part of the package. The Canucks then flipped that pick to the Detroit Red Wings [https://www.google.com/search?q=detroit+red+wings+the+hockey+news&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS979US979&oq=detroit+red+wings+the+hockey+news&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRhAMggIAhAAGBYYHjINCAMQABiGAxiABBiKBTIHCAQQABjvBTIHCAUQABjvBTIKCAYQABiABBiiBDIGCAcQRRg80gEIMjk3OWowajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8] for Hronek ahead of the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, pairing him with Hughes as the club's top pairing. Hronek now plays on the second pairing with Tyler Myers. Yes, it would be ironic if Hronek ended up in Blue & Orange. But he fits the need, and at 28, he does fit this core's timeline. His agent Allan Walsh also represents Jonathan Drouin, who signed a two-year deal worth $4 million annually with Long Island this summer. Now, the biggest question is cost. What would the Islanders have to send the Canucks' way to get this done? Remember, Vancouver has zero leverage here if Hronek decides that he wants out because they gave him the full NMC. So, the Islanders, if they are a team Hronek is open to coming to, don't need to come up with the most competitive package, just a package. Hronek was acquired for the Islanders' 2023 first and Vancouver's 2023 second-round pick. The Islanders have Colorado's 2026 first-round pick from the Brock Nelson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/brock-nelson-talks-ahead-of-first-game-against-islanders-1] trade, but they also have their own first-round pick, which is likely to be more valuable. The Chicago Blackhawks own the Islanders' second-round pick, which they acquired in the Josh Bailey trade at the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal. Could the Islanders' 2026 first, a 2026 conditional third, and a depth forward get the job done? In 23 games this season, Hronek has recorded 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) with just four total penalties, averaging 24:24 minutes per game.
