New York Islanders: Three non-rentals the Isles should target at the deadline

The New York Islanders are in better shape than most teams as the deadline is just mere hours away. However, as a team ahead of their projected contention window and still in first place, here are some non-rental players to call about.

The New York Islanders might be in first place, but that by no means guarantees that Lou Lamoriello and his crew thinks the Islanders’ window for contention is small. Sure, the Isles are playing great, but there are still grand plans for this team beyond this season.

So, we have heard all the names and played a bunch of games a to who the Isles will and will not try to get come the deadline. However, the Islanders could do something even more difficult than just trade for talent. They could get the best of both worlds and try to get talent that is both going to help them this season and beyond.

The problem is, these players might cost a little bit more because teams are not as desperate to shed them. But, with players like Matt Duchene and Mats Zuccarello off the market already, the Isles could get creative. Plus, with the Blue Jackets having already invested in talent, the Artemi Panarin window is closing.

So, while there is obviously still a lot of talent up for grabs by Monday at 3:00, the Isles would merely be renting some talent. They do have the cap space to make some moves beyond even an Anders Lee extension, but Long Island is not exactly free agent hot bed.

So, after looking at a list of some names being rumored to be on the market, here are three players who the Isles could try to trade for that would help them but are not on expiring contracts. Let’s start with the best option first.