Stefen Rosner On State Of Islanders We reported a few weeks ago that the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] had inquired about Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson. Per industry sources, the Islanders still have tremendous interest in Pettersson. One source said that the Islanders absolutely love Pettersson, and we already know that former teammate Bo Horvat would love to reunite with him. "He's so good. He's got such skill and such poise with the puck," Horvat said on Pettersson. "He's good at both ends of the rink. I think that's what gets underappreciated. He's good defensively. He's obviously got a lethal shot that I think he should still utilize a little bit more than he does because he throws goalies off. So he's a special player, and they're lucky to have him." Pettersson is under contract for another six seasons after this one at $11.6 million annually and has voiced a desire to stay with Vancouver. But the 26-year-old has zero trade protection, so the Canucks don't have to honor that. Pettersson has 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 38 games this season. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMjU3MzI0NTcwNTE5MDQ5/usatsi_19922093-1.jpg] The belief is that the Canucks have a tremendous interest in Noah Dobson, a 25-year-old offensive defenseman, who is a pending restricted free agent come season's end. *Dobson suffered a lower-body injury in their 3-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. We are awaiting an update. Dobson has struggled this season with just 23 points (six goals, 17 assists) through 45 games this season after a 70-point (10 goals, 60 assists) last season. Injuries, especially the loss of defense partner Alexander Romanov for stretches this season, have been huge contributors to Dobson's struggles. The 25-year-old has played on his off side at times and on the penalty kill, eating a bunch of minutes to help counteract missing blue-liners But when the two have been together, Dobson has been able to flourish more, and it shows the importance of a consistent defense partner for a young, offensive player. "He's been defending the best I've seen them since I've been here," head coach Patrick Roy said on Monday morning about Dobson. Who knows if the Islanders are even willing to listen to calls regarding Dobson? But for Vancouver, if they are moving Pettersson, Dobson would be a perfect addition to their blue line. While he may not be a top-pairing defenseman with them, given Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek there, Dobson would help their blue-line depth immensely. Now onto Canucks forward J.T. Miller. Per Rick Dhaliwal, the Islanders have also "poked around" on the 31-year-old, who is in the second season of a seven-year deal worth $8 million. Miller has 31 points (eight goals, 23 assists) in 35 games this season, still proving to be an offensive weapon despite being on the other side of 30. I had been told previously that the Islanders didn’t have interest in Miller, so it sounds like they’re just doing their due diligence. Per multiple reports, it was believed that a trade was on the table with the New York Rangers on Saturday night, but nothing came of that. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMTg3MzI0OTI1MDkzMzg1/usatsi_19318141.jpg] Given their position in the standings, it doesn't make much sense for the Islanders to acquire a veteran forward on a long-term deal, which is currently eight points out of a wild-card spot. There are rumors that Horvat and Miller didn't get along in Vancouver. All we can tell you is what Horvat told us about playing with him and the drama in the Canucks room when No. 14 was the captain there: "Miller and I got along great. There's gonna be times when you're gonna cuss each other out. There's gonna be times when you're not gonna like somebody, but at the same time, you respect everybody," Horvat said. "You're all friends in there, you're all teammates, and you're all fighting towards the same goal. Are you gonna get along all the time? No, but at the same time, he and I had a good relationship." Pettersson is, for sure, the more appealing of the two players. For the "sell crowd" -- the Islanders should definitely be selling unrestricted free agents Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri -- there's an opportunity to flip picks and assets to get players to help the team now and in the future, as we saw with Alexander Romanov. Pettersson coming to Long Island would be that caliber of a move. 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