Garth Snow made a splash for the second consecutive day, this time acquiring Jordan Eberle from the Oilers in exchange for Ryan Strome.
A day after clearing cap space by trading draft picks and Mikhail Grabovski to the Vegas Golden Knights, and pushing them to select Jean_Francois Berube, Snow was at it again,
Eberle, 27, was the Oilers’ First Round draft pick (22nd) in 2008. He had 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) while playing all 82 games with Edmonton last season. He is a two-time all-star, and has served as an alternate captain for the Oilers since 2012-13.
“We’re excited to add a proven offensive weapon like Jordan to our lineup,” Islanders President and General Manager Garth Snow said. “He brings speed and a knack for scoring not only consistently, but scoring big goals, in big games. Jordan brings leadership and experience into our room, qualities that will continue to help us build towards our goals of being a consistent playoff contender and winning the Stanley Cup.”
Eberle has represented Canada at five World Championships, winning gold in his most recent tournament in 2015. Most importantly, Eberle has played with John Tavares in the past, and the two seem to have had chemistry. He will likely see top-line minutes alongside Tavares this coming season. There is a possibility he can be a second liner as well if the Islanders decided to keep Ho-Sang on the top line.
Strome, 23, scored 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 69 games with the Islanders last season. A native of Mississauga, ON, Strome has 126 points (45 goals, 81 assists) in 258 career games. The Islanders selected Strome in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.
Incredibly, the Islanders did not have to part with any of their defensive trade chips including Calvin de Haan and Travis Hamonic, both of whom have attracted interest around the league.
This really means one thing. The Islanders probably aren’t done. One of those guys is very likely to go in a trade for Matt Duchene or Alex Galchenyuk.
The Oilers now have only Ryan Strome to show for giving the Islanders Eberle, Mathew Barzal, and Anthony Beauvillier.
It always stings when you lose a 23 year-old homegrown talent, but let’s face it, you have to give something to get something.The time to win is now. Fans have suffered long enough without success. The Islanders have been the butt of jokes for years. They have won one playoff round in nearly 25 years.
The transformation of the Islanders has begun, not only to make the team a contender again, but to appease their Captain. With this, and likely another addition, the Islanders are telling Tavares we are here to win, and want you to be a part of it. The Islanders got older, but better.
This is only the start of what can be the biggest off season for the Islanders in decades.
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