Stefen Rosner
The 2022 NHL Trade Deadline came and went and at 3 PM ET the New York Islanders were one of two teams to not make any moves. Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello had a few pending UFA’s that he could have moved for draft picks, but it seemed that he had other plans in place.
As first reported by ESPN analyst, Kevin Weekes and confirmed by Lamoriello, the New York Islanders have signed forwards Cal Clutterbuck and Zach Parise to contract extensions.
Lou Lamoriello addressed the media at 3:30 PM following the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.
A team with a few changes from their back-to-back postseason runs, the New York Islanders had a rough go of things to start the season. It’s no excuse for the poor play after the COVID-19 drama dwindled. But the Islanders, with a regular schedule, have played more to the level that was expected this past season.
With Ryan Pulock back with Adam Pelech, the defense has been much stronger structurally, and the offense has been able to click more as head coach Barry Trotz has found some stable line combinations.
Over the last couple of years, this Islanders group has been through a lot. And because of that, the room has become relatively tight-knit.
Have the Islanders needed to prove to their general manager that this group is the right group?
“It doesn’t need to be said. I think we know what we have in this room and where we are this year and where we’ve been and all that stuff,” Lee said Sunday. “But to look at it as a whole, we know that it’s in that room, and it’s there…good hockey down the stretch here to put ourselves in a great position to build off of and to continue that culture that we have in this room, of character and pride, and hard work and I think you’ve seen that the last few weeks.”
A significant part of that pride, that character, is Cal Clutterbuck. The pending unrestricted free agent has been critical in turning the Islanders franchise around and has been a staple on the Islanders fourth line. Although the Islanders fourth line has not played their usual role consistently this season, Clutterbuck has been the strongest piece to that line.
The 34-year old forward could have been dealt for anything, with the potential for him to return in the offseason. But that’s a risky move, as a player’s return is never guaranteed.
And if the Islanders want to run it back, Clutterbuck is not the player to lose given what he means to the room. As much as people say that “he’s older, the fourth-line is old, just move on”, what goes on in the locker room drastically impacts more than people think.
As we spoke to Cal Clutterbuck’s linemate Casey Cizikas on Sunday evening, he was asked if he thought about life without Clutterbuck. His response was “No.”
“He means a lot. He wears a letter for a reason. And you know, he’s a vocal guy, and guys listen when he speaks,” Cizikas said. “He plays hard out there, he does the right things, and guys definitely follow that.”
As for Semyon Varlamov, the movement of him and his contract would have relieved the Islanders of up to $5 million (salary retained an option), as the 33-year old netminder has one year remaining on his deal. The asking price was at least a first-round pick as Lamoriello had the power and knew the importance of having a strong tandem.
Although Ilya Sorokin has shown clear signs that he can be the no. 1 and can handle the workload, he is not playing 82 games. And regardless if the Islanders add an offensive weapon in the offseason, the defense is the bread and butter of this team, and the strength in net is of the utmost performance.
“I do know this. When you have two good goaltenders in the National Hockey League, over an 82 game schedule, I mean, it’s an advantage,” Trotz said. “They’re both outstanding humans and have outstanding work ethics.”
As Trotz continues to say, Varlamov never got a training camp, never got a preseason, and had to deal with quarantining in Calgary. But as of late, Varlamov has looked more and more like the player he was in 2020-2021. And that’s a positive sign that Varlamov still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
Just because the New York Islanders did not make moves on Mar. 21 does not mean this roster is the roster that will be on the ice to start the 2022-23 season. There’s a few free agents, restricted and unrestricted, that Lamoriello will need to address.
Moves can be made at the 2022 NHL Draft or during the offseason to bolster the club, as the Islanders need to upgrade on both sides of the puck to keep pace with the their divisional foes.
