WINNIPEG, Manitoba — What’s happened over the past couple weeks has changed the paradigm for the Islanders, not just in the standings but quite possibly at the trade deadline a month from now.
The exact time frames for Noah Dobson, Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield to return aren’t known, but Dobson and Pulock — whose time frames are longer — are expected to begin skating during the 4 Nations break, with Mayfield having been described as day to day heading into the two-week layoff.
Whether the impending logjam on the right side of the defense comes to a head before March 7 isn’t clear.
The trio the Islanders have brought in — Tony DeAngelo, Scott Perunovich and Adam Boqvist — are going to force some uncomfortable questions at some point, though.
If just one of the three injured players returns, the Islanders can deal with that by moving Boqvist to the left, where he lined up for his debut at Tampa Bay on the night Mayfield got hurt.
But if and when all three get back, well, there are only 23 roster spots. Something has to give.
It’s not guaranteed to last, but the Islanders are winning games right now with this lineup.
“They’re just moving the puck very well,” coach Patrick Roy said before Friday night’s match against the Jets. “They break out. They’re skilled guys. They just move the puck out. They join the rush well. [They are] very good skaters. It’s hard to say otherwise.”
Roy did not mean it in a pointed way, but these were all aspects the Islanders lacked in their defense corps before mid-January.
They are seeing right now how valuable it can be to have puck movers all across their blue line.
A choice will need to be made soon.
Moving either Pulock or Mayfield — two career Islanders, both under long-term contracts with full no-trade clauses — would drop a bomb into the dressing room.
There was speculation about Mayfield during his contract year in 2022-23, and there has been periodic speculation about Pulock — a Manitoba native often connected to Winnipeg — but that’s all it’s ever been.
Moving Dobson, 25 and at a relative nadir in his value coming off injury amid a disappointing season, would amount to the Islanders saying they do not believe he’s worth the sort of long-term commitment — likely between $8 million and $10 million per year with the cap spiking — he’s set to command over the summer.
Given his lack of no-trade protection and that he would likely be one of the Islanders’ more valuable trade assets even with the struggles this year, it’s suddenly a question that needs asking.
DeAngelo, Perunovich and Boqvist are all short-term commitments at the moment — none are under contract after this season, though Perunovich and Boqvist are both restricted free agents.
All of them figure to be retainable at a low cost this summer.
With the cap set to spike, the Islanders aren’t exactly facing a crunch, but if they want to go on a spending spree, saving some money on the back end is one way to facilitate that.
It’s a champagne problem, and depending on the timelines for Dobson and Pulock, it might not be something the Islanders need to deal with until after the trade deadline.
That would, obviously, change the equation.
But all three new guys, and DeAngelo in particular, have played well enough so far to earn roles beyond being mere injury fill-ins.
“It adds another element,” captain Anders Lee said. “There’s passing lanes that open up that they create. They’ve done a great job at the blue line of holding the line and creating lanes to shoot and keeping the puck alive.
“As forwards, when you’re down there, whether I’m in front of the net or guys are off to the side, they’re seeing the option and they’re using them. It allows for more zone time, allows for more opportunity at the net. They’re seeing the ice so well and doing a great job of playing our game and our system with their game as well.”
