Isles' Lou Lamoriello must weigh multiple factors as trade deadline looms

Lou Lamoriello always preaches that if there is time available, use that time when it comes to decisions, etc. Well, time is running out for the Islanders’ president/general manager to set the course of the franchise for the rest of this season and the future.

The NHL trade deadline is Friday, and nobody around the league really seems sure if Lamoriello will be a buyer, seller or keeper of the status quo. Top-six forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri are pending unrestricted free agents, and veterans such as forwards Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Casey Cizikas and defensemen Scott Mayfield and Tony DeAngelo might be attractive to other playoff contenders.

The Islanders will enter Monday night’s match against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on a two-game winning streak but still five points out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot in what currently is an eight-team race for two berths.

Here’s a look at some factors Lamoriello must juggle:

The schedule: Bet heavily on Lamoriello using the games on Monday night and Tuesday night against the NHL-leading Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena for a full evaluation. After that, the Islanders don’t play again until the day after the trade deadline, when they open a three-game California swing against the San Jose Sharks.

The legacy: The Islanders did not trade former franchise face John Tavares and wound up losing him via free agency for no return in 2018. Former GM Garth Snow was in charge for most of that drama, but what happened still should resonate with Islanders ownership.

The compensation: Based on the trades that already have been made, it’s a strong seller’s market.

Nelson almost certainly will return a first-round pick as part of any package for him and has not made any definitive statements about being hellbent on returning next season. Can Lamoriello afford not to trade him just for a long-shot run at a playoff berth and possible quick elimination?

Based on his strong season and with only next season remaining on his deal, Lee also could fetch a first-rounder in a package. Would the versatile Pageau, also under control for one more season, do likewise? Probably not, but it’s not impossible. Palmieri is likely to be worth a second-rounder.

And defensemen always come at a premium at this time of the season.

The organization: The organizational depth is thin and not particularly well regarded around the NHL. A bevy of draft choices would help, but the payoff at the NHL level might take a few seasons. With core players such as top-liners Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal and goalie Ilya Sorokin signed long-term and pending restricted free-agent defensemen Noah Dobson and Alexander Romanov possibly getting long-term deals, too, this still is a team that will be constructed to win now.

The future: Lamoriello continues to display boundless energy and repeatedly has said he still relishes and enjoys his job. But he will be 83 at the start of next season, so there’s no guarantee how long he’ll remain the boss, particularly if the Islanders miss the playoffs.

Would that sway him in his decision-making?

Time — specifically this week — will tell.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.