The New York Islanders need more talent in their forward core. They’ve got some talent, but not enough to become a top-tier team in the NHL. The Isles have pieces they can trade to fill that gap.
Look, we all saw what happened against the Caroline Hurricanes. The Islanders were creating scoring chances but just couldn’t put any of them away. That’s what happens when Tom Kuhnhackl is used as one of the teams more offensive forwards.
With the playoffs still going on, NHL media is still primarily focused on the quest for the cup.