The New York Islanders recently traded one of their “Big 3” RFA’s. Devon Toews was shipped off to Colorado for a second-round pick in 2021, and 2022. I don’t know many Islander fans who liked this move, but this move needed to happen, it’s just sad to see Garth Snow still ruining the Islanders.
The reason why Toews is not an Islander is because of Snow. Lou Lamoriello is still dealing with his terrible contract decisions. Sadly, he had to get rid of a good player to do this. But, there are other reasons Toews was traded yesterday.
Contract Arbitration
This was probably the deciding factor in moving Devon Toews. Not once was Toews mentioned in any trades until this happened. For those who don’t know, contract arbitration is a player not agreeing with the salary he will be given, so he files for a court hearing.
The court hearing happens if the two sides can’t meet in the middle on a good contract. If that doesn’t happen, an arbitrator gives the player a contract based on other players’ contracts around the league. Lou Lamoriello got scared about the amount Toews might’ve gotten rewarded with, and here we are now. There’s not enough money to go around, sometimes you gotta be team-friendly.
Noah Dobson
The New York Islanders do not make this trade without knowing that Noah Dobson is ready. Dobson is obviously going to take Devon Toews’ spot alongside Scott Mayfield on the 2nd defensive pairing. This is a huge responsibility for the youngster, but he wouldn’t be in this position if he weren’t ready. Noah Dobson takes Toews’ spot and tries to make Islander fans forget about him. The priority of RFA’s went Mat Barzal, Ryan Pulock, and then Devon Toews. Toews thought he was first in line.
Moving Johnny Boychuk
Johnny Boychuk will probably be traded within the next 48 hours. The Isles had no capital to trade away, Boychuk less than 24 hours ago. Well, now it’s a different story. The Islanders will undoubtedly use one of the 2nd round picks from the Toews’ trade to move Boychuk. If this move happens, the Islanders have $18 Million to sign Barzal, Pulock, Martin, Greene, and another player. It’s sad seeing a good player become a cap casualty, but Hockey is a business.