Islanders' trade for Alexander Romanov addressed a need; now comes free-agent market
The Canadiens' Alexander Romanov during the first period against the Devils on April 7 in Newark, N.J. Credit: AP / Frank Franklin II
MONTREAL — There are a couple of different tomorrows for the Islanders, and president and general manager Lou Lamoriello is tasked with making both better for the organization.
We’ll be able to grade his offseason work to improve the NHL roster soon enough, especially with the free-agent market opening on Wednesday.
The organization’s longer-term health will be tougher to gauge, though, and judging how effectively Lamoriello and his scouting staff navigated the NHL Draft on Thursday and Friday will take several seasons.
So let’s address A before getting to B and start with Lamoriello’s trade of the 13th overall pick to the Canadiens for smooth-skating, hard-hitting, left-shooting defenseman Alexander Romanov and a fourth-round pick.
Romanov, who an NHL source said is scheduled to return from Russia on Sunday, still is a developing NHL product. The selling point for Lamoriello is that he’s an NHL product, not a prospect who could take several seasons to develop.
He’ll help the Islanders move the puck out of their zone, even if he might not contribute much offense. He’ll help them be a physically hard team to play against. He’s a top-four defenseman who might pair with fellow 22-year-old Noah Dobson. Both are restricted free agents without arbitration rights looking at significant pay raises.
It’s fair to say No. 13 might have been a bit of an overpayment. If one or more of the players drafted around that spot turns into an All-Star — or more — there will be a lot of future palm-smacking among the Islanders’ faithful.
But Lamoriello has a win-now roster. In that context, Romanov fills a definite need for the Islanders and has a good chance to show he was worth the cost.
Dobson’s salary-cap hit likely will more than triple from last season’s $894,167, and it might be worth it for Lamoriello to see if he is willing to sign a longer-term deal. Given his rising trajectory, Dobson’s smarter play likely is a shorter-term deal to maximize his value when he approaches unrestricted free agency.
Romanov also is coming off an entry-level deal with the same cap hit as Dobson. He’ll at least double his salary.
But Romanov’s acquisition cannot be the sum total of Lamoriello’s offseason roster improvements. The Islanders desperately need to be a more dangerous team up front, a team that plays with more speed, a team that finds a suitable scoring wing to play with Mathew Barzal.
The Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau and the Lightning’s Ondrej Palat might be available as UFAs, but even with the Islanders approximately $12 million under the $82.5 million salary cap, it would take some financial gymnastics by Lamoriello to fit either of those players.
“If we can do some things that we feel better positionally, we’re going to do it,” he said. “We tried to do something for our defense and we were fortunate, in my opinion, to get Romanov. Now we’ll just take one thing at a time.”
One thing Lamoriello does not sound willing to do is trade goalie Semyon Varlamov for cap flexibility. Varlamov, who has one season remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $5 million, likely will cede even more playing time to Ilya Sorokin, but Lamoriello still believes having both is vital.
“I’ve said it from Day 1 and I feel that way today,” he said.
As for the Islanders’ 2022 draft class of defensemen Calle Odelius (second round) and Isaiah George (fourth round) and wings Quinn Finley (third round), Matthew Maggio (fifth round) and Daylan Kuefler (sixth round), there’s the usual optimism but no way of knowing the quintet’s future impact on the organization.
Based on draft projections, the Islanders got good value on Odelius, selected with the last pick of the second round, and George. There was belief around Bell Centre that both eventually will make the NHL. Both are above-average skaters who can move the puck up ice but are known more for their defensive work.
Odelius will remain in Sweden next season and George is expected to play another season of Canadian junior hockey.
Finley, who must complete high school before going to the University of Wisconsin, is one of the younger players in the draft. Maggio and Kuefler, both 20 next season and undrafted in 2021, were among the older prospects.
It’s not clear whether any of the five will play in the organization next season.
“I couldn’t tell you that until we see them in training camp,” Lamoriello said. “They’ll all be in training camp.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
