As the Islanders begin their 2023 offseason, it may be the end of an era. Their longest tenured player, forward Josh Bailey, is rumored to be leaving this offseason. Bailey has one year remaining on his 6 year, $30 million contract, but his skills atrophied and he sat in the press box for stretches this season. When asked about his future, general manager Lou Lamoriello said, “My priority is doing what’s best for the team,” and a Bailey move may be just that.
With Bailey’s days likely numbered, a salary dump or buyout may be coming soon. While Bailey’s skills have declined, Islanders players and brass have praised his leadership skills, meaning he could provide some value to a team willing to pick him up. Also, as is the case with many bloated contracts being traded, a team could get a solid pick as compensation for taking on a heavy contract. If the Islanders go the trade route, which teams could possibly take Josh Bailey on?
A layup choice for the Islanders’ to trade with is the Arizona Coyotes. For years their strategy has seemingly been to take on bad contracts or long term injured reserve deals to gain draft capital. The Islanders dealt Andrew Ladd to Arizona after his deal disappointed, and it wouldn’t be shocking if they did so again. Arizona took on the LTIR’d deals of Jakub Voracek and Shea Weber this past season, giving them over $27 million in cap space to play with. With Arizona looking to get out of their rebuild, taking on a vet like Bailey could help their younger players take the next step.
The Blackhawks are another team in transition following their 2022-23 season. The team parted ways with Patrick Kane at the trade deadline and Jonathan Toews will not return. Following these moves the team has over $37.5 million in cap this offseason, leaving their future in question. However, some of those concerns eased following the NHL Draft Lottery; Chicago won the first overall pick and the chance to select Connor Bedard. If Chicago want to continue to add futures to their lineup, adding Bailey for a season could give them an extra pick and a presence to help the transition between eras.
The Sharks are another team looking to enter a rebuild. With the majority of their core starting to age, San Jose will look to start gaining draft capital and futures. The team currently sits with over $14 million in cap space right now, a number that could grow should the team trade star defenseman Erik Karlsson, meaning that they can easily make it work salary-wise. San Jose also holds a high pick in this year’s draft, selecting fourth overall. With San Jose in a position to not only select a future franchise face but also kickstart a rebuild, Josh Bailey can help add to their resources in a cap dump, and provide a veteran presence for a young lineup.
Stay tuned for more breaking NHL content, including trade deadline information, power rankings and more news from every team.
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