It’s worth starting this conversation by stating that the New York Islanders should not trade the top pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. As intriguing as it sounds, the Islanders and new general manager (GM) Mathieu Darche shouldn’t overthink the decision and should just take the best player available.
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Darche agrees with that sentiment. He noted during his introductory press conference that someone would need to knock his socks off to make a deal for the top pick. During the combine, he already met with a few of the top prospects with the intention of taking one of them. All this is why the Islanders shouldn’t trade their pick and probably won’t.
But if they do, there are a few players who fit the bill of good enough to knock Darche’s socks off (although the weather this week suggests he’s not wearing socks, so a deal must knock his flip-flops off).
Tage Thompson
Tage Thompson is the game-changer the Buffalo Sabres could trade this summer. Granted, this is a team that enters next season with playoff aspirations, and anything short of that will likely cost GM Kevyn Adams his job (with the Jarmo Kekalainen hire only ramping up the pressure). Additionally, the Sabres already have a great farm system and aren’t looking to add another prospect to the mix when they need NHL-caliber players (like Thompson).
That said, the Sabres are looking for a shakeup with reports circulating about J.J. Peterka and Bowen Byram being in potential deals. Trading Thompson or Rasmus Dahlin would be a big shakeup and possibly leave the Sabres better off in the long run. Thompson doesn’t have an easy contract to move. The cap hit is manageable with a $7.14 million average annual value (AAV) but there are four more seasons on it. However, he’s the player the Islanders could acquire for the pick in a one-for-one swap.
He’s the elite talent who would take the top line to the next level. Thompson plays both center and right wing, and he’s a proven 40-goal scorer. The Islanders have a handful of players in their primes, notably Mathew Barzal, who are looking to return to the playoffs, and Thompson is the player they could add to set themselves up for a Cup run.
Jason Robertson
It doesn’t make sense for the Dallas Stars to trade Jason Robertson. He’s a core part of their roster, and for a team on the cusp of the Stanley Cup, they…
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