The paradigm governing the Islanders’ choice making has modified with the five-game profitable streak they’ll take into Philadelphia on Thursday. Or has it?
In any case, even earlier than all of the profitable actually kicked off, Lou Lamoriello mentioned he had not but thought of being a commerce deadline vendor. The overall supervisor needed to see if his crew might climb again into the race, and that’s simply what they’ve performed in profitable eight of the previous 10 to chop the playoff deficit to 4 factors as of Wednesday morning.
So possibly the paradigm has stayed precisely the place it was, together with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri’s expiring contracts, which nonetheless grasp over issues as a query mark.
By no means say by no means, however at this level, it appears unlikely within the excessive that both participant is dealt earlier than the 4 Nations break. The Islanders have six video games left earlier than the two-week layoff, 5 of which can come on the street and 5 of that are towards doubtless playoff groups, representing one other take a look at of their playoff mettle.