One last deal slipped in before the Expansion Draft transaction freeze and it is intriguing, to say the least. The Arizona Coyotes have acquired veteran forward Andrew Ladd from the New York Islanders, taking on a bad contract in exchange for several draft picks. Sportsnet’s David Amber was the first to report the deal, while colleague Elliotte Friedman adds that the picks are a 2021 second-rounder, a conditional 2022 second-rounder, and a conditional 2023 third-rounder. The Coyotes will receive the higher pick of the Islanders’ two 2022 second-round selections, their own and the Colorado Avalanche’s. The third-round pick will be transferred if Ladd plays in at least one game in 2022-23.
Interestingly, Amber notes that Ladd is indeed expected to play for Arizona. The 35-year-old played in just four games this season and 26 last season, spending most of both campaigns with his $5.5MM cap hit buried in the AHL. Ladd has not played at a high level since before signing with New York in 2016, but the Coyotes need his veteran leadership and will give him the opportunity to return to form this year. He has two years remaining on his contract; Arizona hopes that in that time they can see some semblance of the former perennial 20-goal scorer.
This trade, while a high price to pay for the Islanders, is yet another major cost-saving move by the team following the trade of Nick Leddy earlier this week. New York was facing a difficult salary cap crunch this off-season, but have now freed up more than enough room to re-sign the likes of Adam Pelech, Anthony Beauvillier, and Ilya Sorokin. Without their own first- or second-round picks this year, it may seem like dealing three additional selections away in order to move Ladd was too much. However, adding a second-round pick for Leddy and two second-rounders (now down to one) for Devon Toews last summer, the Islanders had some flexibility without damaging the pipeline too badly. It beats the alternative, which likely would have been an expensive buyout for Ladd which still would have resulted in cap issues.
sell the team
I think moving the team to the Bay Area would be really successful.
Like the San Francisco Tigers or something.
But Phoenix has always been a location for nabbing TV ratings in the Mid-West.
Thats why we saw the league take control to keep the team there. Its more about the logistics of what having a team in Arizona does for the league, more-so than the success of one franchise
Toews, Leddy, Ladd, and 3rd nets the Islanders a 2nd round pick and Panik. Lou Lamoriello is the best! :rolling eyes emoji:
Shhhhh shhhh. Islander fans have to peddle the Lou is great propaganda. Don’t tell anyone they traded away a young star in Toews or a 2nd for Andy Green. Or the fact he just paid over market value to dump
Uhhhh, the Isles have been to the Eastern Conference (or equivalent) Finals two years in a row.
Pudding’s got the proof, whether you like the recipe or not.
Lets see…Isles make the ECF two years in a row and take the champs, Tampa Bay, to the brink this season. But you’re right – Lou’s terrible at his job.
I don’t think he is terrible at his job but back to back GMs of the year is ridiculous. Win it one time fine. But he has done nowhere near enough to warrant the praise he gets. It’s pretty hilarious today people are acting like he got the Yotes to take on Ladd for nothing.
Huge deal for Islanders!
Seth Jones….hhmmmm
If the Kraken don’t take Tarasenko, the Islanders will try to sign him
Sign a guy who has a contract for two more years?
yeah, I meant trade for him, my error.
Lamoriello is 78. He does not care about five years from now. He wants to win now.
Where former Blackhawk greats go to die
So, the NHL doesn’t even ask you to fake it anymore? The Isles got no return and this is acceptable to the NHL registrar’s office?