A player the New York Islanders could acquire in a shocking trade with the Sabers

The New York Islanders need to do better than last season when it comes to finding the back of the net. And that means trying to find a viable forward who fits the team’s identity and won’t force general manager Lou Lamoriello to change much of the current roster to stay cap compliant.

Cap Friendly paints a bleaker than gloomy picture regarding the Islanders’ projected cap space, which stands at just over $6.5 million. Spotrac’s current projection is lower, estimating Isles at around $5.5 million, meaning there’s little room for error if Lamoriello wants to keep the team as close to “such” as possible. what”.

Given the number of restricted free agents the Isles might want to re-sign, the number above could disappear quickly, meaning the Isles could end up making a shocking trade or two, if necessary, that would free up more cap space while, once again, keeping the core intact. Since it might be difficult for this team to sign another in free agency, the trade market provides a good opportunity to acquire a cheap but high-potential player.

Peyton Krebs first came to the Sabers in the Jack Eichel trade, but he never managed to become more than a fourth line player in Buffalo. Currently a pending restricted free agent, the Sabers could send his signing rights to the Isles, allowing Lou Lamoriello to sign Krebs on a more than reasonable deal to replace someone like Cal Clutterbuck or Matt Martin potentially departing.

Krebs fit the Isles’ mentality well and he recorded 108 hits for a Sabers team whose identity was not at all the most physical in the league. Someone like Krebs would develop that physical game on Long Island, and in the Isles’ current system, he could also develop into one of the best young defensive forwards in the NHL, but with scoring potential, even if the latter hasn’t translated to the big leagues yet.

Better yet, he wouldn’t cost more than seven figures if he re-signed a “bridge deal” before getting a longer contract in a few years. Krebs has only seen 30 goals this season while in Buffalo at even strength, and despite his inability to light up the scoreboard at the moment, he is a respectable puck mover and one who will also help create opportunities.

While the Sabers traded for Krebs, there’s a good chance general manager Kevyn Adams wants to keep him on the Blue and Gold’s fourth line. But he’s a legitimate candidate for a trade this summer and teams looking to strengthen their physical department will be interested in trading for him.

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)