Anders Lee is out, so who is the replacement?
Jacob Beekman (IslandersOnly)
Breaking News:
Anders Lee has officially been ruled out for the remainder of the season and was placed on the LTIR (long term injured reserve). Therefore, that frees up seven million dollars in cap space that the Islanders can use to find a replacement. Now, who could that be?
Trade Targets:
The Islanders should go after Taylor Hall. He is a very talented player who has spoken very highly of the Islanders, now with Lee officially out for the season he could fill in. Hall is a UFA after this season and it would be a perfect fit in the captain’s place.
Hall has not been performing well in Buffalo with only 2 goals in 26 games played. But on the other side, he has playoff experience and could also help with the younger guys. Bringing in Hall would be a great decision and would really benefit this Islanders team and really make them cup contenders.
So who would we have to give up? Realistically we would need to give up a few picks, possibly a second and third plus a player like Leo Komarov, Ross Johnston or Thomas Hickey.
In house:
Should the Islanders choose to not make any moves at the deadline, they have plenty of young rookies that can fill in. Kieffer Bellows, who has filled in the last four games since Lee has been out is a very good option, scoring three goals and playing well in the span. Typically the Islanders don’t trade for much and they’re known for using a “Next man up mentality”. So this very well may be the route they choose to take.
About the Writer: Jacob Beekman- For daily New York Islanders news, analysis, coverage, and more be sure to follow @IslandersOnly on Instagram.
Photo by AP/Kathy Willens
