Islanders That Would Benefit From Being Traded to the Seattle Kraken
The New York Islanders and the Seattle Kraken can develop a symbiotic relationship at Thursday’s expansion draft.
The Seattle Kraken will begin building up their roster on July 21 when the expansion draft takes place, and the Islanders have several players on their roster that are very talented but probably won’t make the starting lineup this fall.
Those are players that the Kraken won’t draft but perhaps might take in exchange for not taking a more valuable, unexposed Islander. There is no competition for a starting spot as of now, giving these players the opportunity to play more consistently.
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Kieffer Bellows (LW)
Kieffer Bellows has been with the Islanders since the 2019-20 season. He has since played 22 games recording five goals and one assist. He also has a shooting percentage of 16.7.
Bellows was great this season when he played on the first line in Anders Lee’s spot. He is still a very young player at only 23 years old, meaning he has so much time to learn and improve. If he was given the opportunity to be in the starting lineup for Seattle, I believe that he could become a top goal scorer on the team.
Michael Dal Colle (LW)
Michael Dal Colle has played with the Islanders for four years since the 2017-18 season, appearing in 111 games and scoring eight goals 13 assists. The young winger has also gained some playoff experience too in a depth role.
Dal Colle played in nearly half of the regular season games this year. Throughout those 26 games, his game improved tremendously. He started playing more defensively, breaking up plays along the walls. He will only continue to improve if he keeps playing more games and the Kraken would be a great place for him to do that.
Ross Johnston (LW)
Ross Johnston has played with the Isles for five seasons since the 2015-16 season. He has played in 86 games recording 15 points (7-8–15) and a shooting percentage of 13.5. He also gained playoff experience during the 2019-20 playoffs. Johnston plays a very physical game, which fits the style of the Islanders’ fourth line. Because of that, when the fourth line is completely healthy, there isn’t much of a need for him. This past season, he only played in 12 games.
Ross Johnston would be a great asset for the Seattle Kraken due to his physical style of play and his experience in the NHL. He could help them build an identity line of their own.
Sebastian Aho (D)
Sebastian Aho played 25 games between the 2017-18 and 2020-21 seasons. Throughout his career, he has recorded two goals and four assists.
Aho is still very young so he has lots of time to learn and improve his game. When Noah Dobson was out of the lineup this March, Aho took his place and played great. He was only in for three games but scored one goal and finished with only a -1 rating. He has the potential to be a consistent top-four defenseman in the NHL with the proper grooming.
Thomas Hickey (D)
Thomas Hickey has been with the Islanders for eight years since the 2012-13 season. He has played in 454 games and has registered 22 goals (five of which were overtime goals) and 95 assists for a total of 117 points. Hickey is a seasoned veteran who has a lot of experience to offer Seattle. Along with eight regular seasons, Hickey also played in the playoffs four different years.
Cory Schneider (G)
Corey Schneider began playing in the NHL back in the 2008-09 season. The 2020-21 season was the first season in 12 years that he did not play in a single game. Throughout his career, Schneider has played in 409 games and has a record of 170-159. He also has a goals against average of 2.43 and a .918 save percentage.
Schneider also has four seasons worth of playoff experience. He has played in 14 playoff games for a 2.35 goals against average and a .931 save percentage.
Seattle Kraken Is the Perfect Place
The Islanders’ roster is filled with more talented players than roster spots, but the Seattle Kraken can solve that problem.
The Isles’ young guns who have to yield playing time to the veterans deserve to go to a team where they can consistently play and grow as a player. As for the veterans, they deserve the chance to play and win a Stanley Cup before their time is up in the NHL. The Seattle Kraken is a great place for these players to do that. Being that Seattle has no roster yet, these players do not have any competition for a starting spot in the lineup.
I am a huge Islanders fan and love spreading my passion for the team here at Drive4Five. Along with writing, I also co-manage the Drive4Five TikTok and Facebook accounts.
