Will the New York Islanders exchange Travis Hamonic for Jordan Eberle or Matt Duchene this offseason?
On Friday, Bob McKenzie and Darren Dreger of TSN speculated that the Islanders could swap Travis Hamonic for either Matt Duchene or Jordan Eberle this offseason.
Hamonic, 26, was disappointing in 2016-17, after rescinding his well-documented trade request just months earlier. He tallied a mere fourteen points, and was repeatedly cited for the team’s defensive struggles.
Meanwhile, the Isles were linked to both Duchene and Eberle at previous spots. Many believed that a Hamonic-Duchene swap was inevitable at the deadline, but nothing happened. Likewise, many believed that Eberle would be a target last offseason, but nothing materialized.
Duchene, 26, has two years remaining on his contract. He netted 18 goals and 23 assists for the historically poor Colorado Avalanche last season. As far as intangibles go, he’s an extremely fast skater with plenty of potential as a goalscorer.
Eberle, 27, also has two years remaining on his deal. He’s got a nose for the net, as evidenced by his 20 goals and 31 helpers for the Edmonton Oilers. It wouldn’t be surprising if he develops into a top goalscorer.
NOTES
Who had the best goal of the season? Bryan Saur’s piece featured the usual culprits (i.e. John Tavares) but also some surprises and first-timers (i.e. Joshua Ho-Sang and Josh Bailey). Spoiler alert: the captain was more likely than not included multiple times.
While Adam Pelech didn’t start the season on the Islanders’ roster, he still managed to turn heads during his stint in Brooklyn. Matt Di Giacomo, in his most recent Season Review article, writes that although it didn’t come easy for him, “Pelech seemed to settle down playing on [Nick] Leddy’s right, gaining more confidence playing with an experienced NHL regular and being less afraid to make mistakes knowing who he had on his left.”
Surprise! Surprise! Islanders head coach Doug Weight joined Sirius XM to discuss his recent hiring and John Tavares’ future. He not-so-unexpectedly reiterated that locking up the captain on a long-term deal is the team’s biggest priority this offseason, and even managed to make the hosts laugh a little bit.
