With both the New York Islanders and Winnipeg Jets’ seasons ending in Round 1, the two teams entered the offseason in frustrating fashion. The Jets had loftier expectations than the Islanders, and now feel a stronger sense of urgency to make changes to the roster. One name that has come up is Nikolaj Ehlers, a forward who is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2024-25 season. As well, one of the many teams rumored to have interest in the 28-year-old is the Islanders, although those rumors do not have much merit.
As all fanbases do, both Islanders and Jets fans have taken the liberty of discussing mock trade proposals online, and it appears both sides feel a strong connection. While it is fun to speculate, it is important to analyze how much merit these ideas truly hold.
Nikolaj Ehlers Trade Is Possible
The easy part of this discussion is breaking down the possibility of Ehlers getting traded. He recently spoke to the media, stating “There has been no talk with [Kevin Cheveldayoff] so far and I still definitely have to talk to him with my agent as well.” If the two sides continue to hold off on discussions, it is hard to imagine Winnipeg will not gauge Ehlers’ trade interest.
Ehlers would also fetch a big return, providing Winnipeg with the assets necessary to address their defensive concerns. The team concluded the playoffs with the worst expected goals against per 60 with 3.5, according to Money Puck — the next closest team was the Vegas Golden Knights with 2.86. Ehlers could land a strong defenseman himself, or fetch assets that can address the team’s defensive concerns as well as find a forward replacement.
Does Ryan Pulock Make Sense?
From Winnipeg’s perspective, Ryan Pulock is an ideal acquisition. He grew up in Grandview, Manitoba, has vast experience in deep playoff runs, is right-handed, plays big minutes, and can play the powerplay and penalty kill. There is a lot to like in his game, and he only makes $6.15 million. With Ehlers making $6 million, the salaries are a near-perfect match. However, the Islanders may not be so quick to move on from Pulock, and there are a few reasons why.
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The first hurdle is the Islanders have no reason to move him. Pulock has been an integral part of their top four for the past seven seasons, leading the team on two deep playoff runs. The second hurdle is he has a full no-trade clause until the 2027-28 season. If he wants to remain an Islander, he will stay an Islander, regardless of a potential trade destination.
The third hurdle is the Islanders would have to fill his void by either bringing in another premier defenseman or promoting Scott Mayfield to the second pairing. With Mayfield coming off of multiple serious injuries last season, believing he will be ready to return to his peak abilities would be a massive gamble. The reality behind all of this is Pulock would need to approach the Islanders and state he wants to be moved, otherwise this will never happen.
What Could a Trade Look Like?
With all of that said it is still fun to speculate what a trade would look like. So, in the off chance Pulock wants to leave Long Island, what could a trade look like? It is hard to imagine either team would want to add value in a trade, but it is unlikely to see a trade be straight up. Both sides also have additional assets they could add to help fill the traded players’ voids.
Beginning with Ehlers, Winnipeg could add a defenseman, such as Dylan DeMelo’s signing rights. He is a pending free agent and would not be returning if Pulock was acquired, so the Islanders could have an interest in him. The Islanders could also look to add a young defenseman with the hopes of him filling Pulock’s void. This could be 23-year-old, former first-round pick Ville Heinola. He has struggled to find his footing in Winnipeg, so a change of scenery could be helpful.
While the Islanders have an abundance of left-handed defensemen, they do lack offensive talent, so adding Heinola could be a useful addition. They could also train him, or another left-handed defenseman, to play on the right side, steering away from potential handedness-related concerns.
With Winnipeg giving up Ehlers and either DeMelo or Heinola, the Islanders will be offering up Pulock and another asset. The additional asset could be a prospect like William Dufour or Matthew Maggio, roster players Oliver Wahlstrom or Ruslan Iskhakov, or one of the Islanders’ two 2024 second-round picks. It is hard to predict exactly what a trade could come down to, but it would ultimately be Pulock for Ehlers with additional assets of similar value getting exchanged as well.
While it is fun to imagine a trade involving these two players, it is incredibly difficult to believe Pulock will be moved. There is a reason he implemented a no-trade clause in his contract, and it is not like the Islanders have any reason to move on from him. So, at least for now, an Ehlers trade will require different assets if it were to occur.
