- New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau remains out of the lineup according to a team release. The Islanders announced the veteran is still day-to-day and will not play tonight against the Buffalo Sabres. Pageau has been listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury since he last played on February 11th against the Montreal Canadiens.
Islanders Rumors
Trade Deadline Roundup: Eastern Conference
While trade deadline day was largely a dud in itself, that was because so many moves were made in the days leading up to March 3rd. With that in mind, here is a recap of the trades made in the Eastern Conference in the ten days leading up to deadline day to show who all moved where in what was a busy trade period overall. Players and picks that were acquired and then flipped are only noted for their final destination.
Boston Bruins
Acquired: F Shane Bowers, F Tyler Bertuzzi, F Garnet Hathaway, D Dmitry Orlov, F Andrei Svetlakov
Traded: G Keith Kinkaid, F Craig Smith, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
Buffalo Sabres
Acquired: F Jordan Greenway, D Riley Stillman, D Austin Strand, 2023 third-round pick (LA), 2025 seventh-round pick (NSH)
Traded: F Rasmus Asplund, F Josh Bloom, F Anders Bjork, G Erik Portillo, D Chase Priskie, 2023 second-round pick (VGK), 2024 fifth-round pick
Carolina Hurricanes
Acquired: D Shayne Gostisbehere, F Jesse Puljujarvi
Traded: F Patrik Puistola, 2026 third-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets
Acquired: G Jon Gillies, G Michael Hutchinson, 2023 first-round pick (LA), 2023 fifth-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (LA), 2025 seventh-round pick (VGK)
Traded: D Vladislav Gavrikov, G Joonas Korpisalo, F Gustav Nyquist, Jakub Voracek, 2023 sixth-round pick
Detroit Red Wings
Acquired: F Dylan McLaughlin, 2023 first-round pick (NYI), 2023 second-round pick (VAN), 2023 fourth-round pick (MIN), 2024 first-round pick (BOS), 2025 fourth-round pick (BOS), 2025 seventh-round pick (STL)
Traded: F Tyler Bertuzzi, D Filip Hronek, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Jakub Vrana
Florida Panthers
No trades made
Montreal Canadiens
Acquired: D Frederic Allard, F Denis Gurianov, D Tony Sund, 2024 fifth-round pick (SJ)
Traded: F Evgenii Dadonov, D Arvid Henrikson, F Nate Schnarr
New Jersey Devils
Acquired: G Zacharie Emond, F Timur Ibragimov, F Curtis Lazar, F Timo Meier, D Santeri Hatakka, 2024 fifth-round pick (COL)
Traded: F Andreas Johnsson, D Shakir Mukhamadullin, D Nikita Okhotyuk, F Fabian Zetterlund, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick, 2024 seventh-round pick
New York Islanders
Acquired: F Pierre Engvall
Traded: 2024 third-round pick
New York Rangers
Acquired: F Anton Blidh, D Wyatt Kalynuk, F Patrick Kane, F William Lockwood, D Cooper Zech, 2026 seventh-round pick (VAN)
Traded: F Vitali Kravtsov, F Austin Rueschhoff, F Gustav Rydahl, D Andy Welinski, 2023 second-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
Ottawa Senators
Acquired: F Patrick Brown, D Jakob Chychrun
Traded: D Nikita Zaitsev, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 sixth-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick
Philadelphia Flyers
Acquired: F Brendan Lemieux, 2023 sixth-round pick (OTT), 2024 fourth-round pick (LA)
Traded: F Patrick Brown, F Zack MacEwen, F Isaac Ratcliffe
Pittsburgh Penguins
Acquired: F Nick Bonino, F Peter DiLiberatore, F Mikael Granlund, D Dmitry Kulikov, 2024 third-round pick (VGK)
Traded: F Teddy Blueger, F Brock McGinn, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 seventh-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick
Tampa Bay Lightning
Acquired: F Michael Eyssimont, F Tanner Jeannot
Traded: D Cal Foote, F Vladislav Namestnikov, 2023 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2025 first-round pick
Toronto Maple Leafs
Acquired: D Erik Gustafsson, F Sam Lafferty, D Jake McCabe, D Luke Schenn, F Radim Zohorna, 2023 first-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (NYI), 2024 fifth-round pick (CHI), 2025 fifth-round pick (CHI)
Traded: F Joey Anderson, F Pierre Engvall, F Pavel Gogolev, F Dryden Hunt, D Rasmus Sandin, 2023 third-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
Washington Capitals
Acquired: D Rasmus Sandin, F Craig Smith, 2024 third-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (MIN), 2025 second-round pick (BOS), 2025 second-round pick (COL)
Traded: F Lars Eller, D Erik Gustafsson, F Garnet Hathaway, F Marcus Johansson, D Dmitry Orlov
New York Islanders Sign Tristan Lennox To ELC
The New York Islanders have come to an agreement with their 2021 third-round pick, goaltender Tristan Lennox, on a three-year entry-level contract.
Lennox, 20, is in his fourth season with the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL and has posted a 22-15-1 record this year, with a 3.28 GAA and an .880 save percentage. He has twice been named the OHL Goaltender of the Week this season. For his OHL career, Lennox has played 116 games, and his 56 career wins rank fifth-most in Saginaw franchise history.
While the Islanders have a superstar in current goaltender Ilya Sorokin, this signing shows that they see Lennox has potential between the pipes. With goaltender size becoming more of a concern for NHL teams, Lennox has the size to be a star as he stands 6’4” and weighs 190 pounds. While his size is an obvious strength, some scouts view his ability to position his large frame as an area that can be improved on.
Lennox is eligible to spend next season in the minor leagues, where he could tandem with Jakub Skarek for AHL starts, or head to the ECHL for more regular playing time. With pending unrestricted free agent Semyon Varlamov potentially leaving town, the Islanders will be looking for a goaltender to make the jump at some point in the next few years.
No Extension Coming For Engvall, Pageau Resumes Skating
- While the Islanders quickly signed Bo Horvat to a contract extension after acquiring him, don’t expect that to be the case for their latest acquisition in Pierre Engvall. GM Lou Lamoriello told Newsday’s Andrew Gross (Twitter link) that they’ll “take one thing at a time” with the winger but acknowledged that he’s someone that he’d like to keep beyond this season. Engvall, who carries a $2.25MM AAV, is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and has 21 points in 58 games so far.
- In a separate tweet, Gross relays that center Jean-Gabriel Pageau has resumed skating as he works his way back from an upper-body injury that has kept him out for the last two and a half weeks. Pageau has 29 points in 58 games this season and plays more minutes than any Islanders forward on the penalty kill, a unit that’s one of the strongest in the league; getting him back would certainly be a boost to a New York squad that’s trying to hold onto a Wild Card spot.
New York Islanders Acquire Pierre Engvall
The Toronto Maple Leafs confirmed that the team has traded forward Pierre Engvall to the New York Islanders for a third-round selection in 2024. After already trading away defenseman Rasmus Sandin to the Washington Capitals earlier this afternoon, the Maple Leafs send another player out the door. Headed for unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of this season, Engvall adds another large and imposing forward to the mix for the Islanders. Standing at 6’5″, Engvall becomes a valuable player that the Islanders will now have on their roster.
As likely the team and fan base with the most desperation for Lord Stanley’s glory, GM Kyle Dubas continues to cultivate the Maple Leafs into an even more legitimate Stanley Cup threat. After having already acquired players such as Ryan O’Reilly, Jake McCabe, and Erik Gustafsson in various moves, Dubas was able to create even more flexibility for the Maple Leafs with this move. Set to become a free agent at season’s end, Engvall was on a one-year, $2.25MM contract this year. Drafted in the seventh round by the Maple Leafs in the 2014 NHL Draft, Engvall became one of the better depth forwards for the team over the course of the last several seasons. Scoring a career-high 35 points last year, Engvall will have the ability to show off his skill with another team in the playoff hunt.
Immediately becoming one of the tallest forwards on the team, Engvall will allow the Islanders to employ an even more imposing offense. Having already supplemented their goal-scoring issues with the acquisition of Bo Horvat earlier this year, Engvall takes more of a defensive approach to the game. With a Corsi-for above 50% in the last two seasons, Engvall’s team was controlling the puck more with him on the ice. One of the more defensively sound teams in the game, the Islanders will benefit from adding another forward who fits their mold and style of play.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report that Pierre Engvall was headed to the Islanders.
New York Islanders Recall Otto Koivula
The New York Islanders have made a roster swap, sending Andy Andreoff to the AHL while recalling Otto Koivula ahead of tonight’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.
Andreoff, 31, has played in three games so far this season, recording one assist in just 22 total minutes of ice time. The veteran winger has been mostly a minor league player for his decade-long professional career and has suited up just nine times with New York since joining the organization in 2021.
For the Bridgeport Islanders, though, he’s been a key player, scoring 20 goals in just 46 games this season. With Bridgeport entering a key three-in-four stretch over the next few days, he’ll be a welcome reinforcement.
Koivula, meanwhile, has played just one game for New York, the 21st of his NHL career. The 24-year-old forward has 25 points in 45 games for Bridgeport and continues to bounce up and down whenever the organization needs an extra body at the NHL level.
Mathew Barzal Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury
11:40am: The Islanders have clarified, explaining to reporters, including Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, that Barzal is “week-to-week” and is expected to return at some point this season.
10:30am: The New York Islanders will be without one of their most dangerous offensive players, as Mathew Barzal is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. The star forward suffered it over the weekend against the Boston Bruins, playing just three shifts before leaving the game.
New York would end up losing badly without him, and now may have to find a way to stay in the race without him for a long stretch. Indefinitely, of course, doesn’t necessarily mean Barzal will be out long-term but is usually the terminology used when a player has been ruled out but is still being evaluated for potential surgery. Hopefully, in this case that won’t be required, and the Islanders will have the smooth-skating forward back in the lineup before long. If not, their offense is going to take a significant hit.
Barzal, 25, has 51 points in 58 games this season and is part of a trio with Brock Nelson and Anders Lee that drives almost all of the Islanders forward offensive production. Jean-Gabriel Pageau (who is also injured) is the next highest-scoring forward with 29 points in 56 games, while Zach Parise is the only other forward with more than ten goals.
Luckily, the Islanders did just add Bo Horvat, who will likely be given even more responsibility than he already has. Horvat is averaging more than 21 minutes a night with the Islanders so far, and has three goals and four points in seven games since coming over from the Vancouver Canucks. If Barzal misses significant time, he will need to continue his outstanding season to help New York reach the playoffs.
New York Islanders Recall Arnaud Durandeau On Emergency Basis
The New York Islanders have announced that forward Arnaud Durandeau has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Islanders, on an emergency basis. The recall puts Durandeau in a position to make his NHL debut at the age of 24.
A sixth-round pick at the 2017 draft, Durandeau impressed scouts with his tenacity and feisty scoring ability. He scored 41 points in his draft season, before improving to 53 the year after and then 38 goals and 73 points in his final QMJHL season with the Halifax Mooseheads.
Durandeau signed a two-year, two-way extension with the Islanders over the summer, capping off an impressive breakout professional season. Durandeau’s pro debut in 2019-20 was uneven, and he spent 15 games in the ECHL. The following year, Durandeau scored eight points in 14 AHL games, and then last season he saw his production tick up quite a bit, to 15 goals and 37 points in 64 games.
He helped Bridgeport reach the AHL playoffs, and returned this season with the expectation that he would resume playing a major role. He has done just that, and ranks fourth in team scoring with 33 points in 48 games, behind two veterans in Chris Terry and Andy Andreoff, as well Ruslan Iskhakov, one of the Islanders’ top prospects.
While it’s unlikely that Durandeau plays any sort of major role for coach Lane Lambert during this emergency recall, he is the type of player who can impress in limited minutes. He’s grown to be a well-liked contributor in the AHL, and it would be no surprise if Islanders fans take a quick liking to his work ethic.
New York Islanders Reassign Otto Koivula
Feb 14: Koivula has been returned to the AHL. He played in one game, but only received nine shifts.
Feb 13: The New York Islanders have made a few roster moves, dealing with a Casey Cizikas non-COVID illness. Samuel Bolduc has been returned to the minor leagues, while Otto Koivula is on his way back up.
Bolduc, 22, has played six games for the Islanders this season, most recently appearing last Thursday. The young defenseman is averaging just 15 minutes a night but did score his first NHL goal against the Seattle Kraken. Bolduc’s ceiling looks rather high, but he may have to wait a little while before he’s a regular in the NHL.
Koivula, meanwhile, hasn’t played at all for New York this season, spending the whole year in the AHL. The big winger has 10 goals and 21 points in 42 games there, but hasn’t been impressive enough to really force his way into the NHL. Through 20 career games, Koivula still hasn’t scored, adding just two assists in the process.
Injury Notes: Pageau, Tinordi, Faber
The New York Islanders are without one of their best depth pieces tonight against the Ottawa Senators. Jean-Gabriel Pageau is out for tonight’s game against his former team with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, per the team.
Pageau sustained the injury at practice yesterday, says Stefen Rosner of NYI Hockey Now. Reportedly, Pageau was “clipped” during a drill and was slow to get up, yet stayed on the ice for the remainder of practice. The 30-year-old center has 10 goals and 29 points in 56 games this season. This is his first absence of the 2022-23 campaign.
- Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi is out for the remainder of tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury, the team said. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope notes that Tinordi had fallen awkwardly on a shift in the first period. Tinordi, 30, was claimed on waivers by the Blackhawks at the beginning of the season and has suited up in 26 games, recording five points.
- One of the best prospects in hockey on one of the best teams in college hockey is out long-term. The Athletic’s Michael Russo agreed with reports today that Minnesota Wild defense prospect and University of Minnesota captain Brock Faber is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Acquired from the Los Angeles Kings in the Kevin Fiala trade, Faber has 20 points in 30 games with Minnesota this year after representing the United States at the Olympics and World Junior Championships last season.