With the NHL's Free Agent Frenzy in the rear view mirror, there are usually some reports of things that were in the works that maybe fell through for one reason or another.

One rumor that has been circulating the last few days is that the New York Islanders are considering trading Ilya Sorokin (30-24-6, 2.71 GAA, .907 SV%) to move up in the 2025 NHL Draft to select Long Island native James Hagens.

The problem here is that words are taken as truth, even when stated in a manner that is anything but concrete.

Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche told us that he tried to trade up for Hagens a few times, but teams weren't willing to trade their picks.

However, Darche also said, from the beginning of his tenure and through free agency, that he wasn't trading Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat.

So, if we use common sense, why on earth would Darche, with Semyon Varlamov coming off lower-body surgery, trade his franchise goaltender, if he wants to be competitive and make the playoffs?

If Darche were trading Sorokin, that would be the key move to a legitimate rebuild, with trading Barzal, Horvat, and Palmieri —someone who Darche gave a two-year extension — the next dominoes to fall.

Now, what I will say is that a team like the Utah Mammoth should have 1000% asked Darche for Sorokin in a trade for pick No. 4. However, "conversations" would have been one, with Darche saying no before the conversation moved on to another player and/or picks.

Sorokin is entering the second season of an eight-year deal worth $8.25 million annually with a full no-move clause.

He's not going anywhere, not as long as the Islanders are comitted to being competitive.

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PHOTO: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Islanders Ilya Sorokin Dangling Makes Little Sense