NFL Tickets
The New York Islanders are looking like they could very well be a playoff team for only the third time since the lost 2004-05 season. A big reason why is the team’s commitment to defense and their depth up front, which allows them to roll four lines consistently. One player that has been lost in the shuffle is Anders Lee, who has shown plenty of flashes in previous NHL stints and in the minor leagues.
It could be best for the Islanders and Lee if the former Notre Dame center is shipped to another squad.
When the Isles made the deal to acquire Johnny Boychuk from the Boston Bruins, I thought Lee would have been a great part of that trade. He could have used that change of scenery, and the Bruins surely could have used the help Lee would bring them. His size, offensive skills, and developing two-way game seemed to make him a perfect for coach Claude Julien. Alas, New York only gave up draft picks in the deal and Lee is still on Long Island.
Right now, the Islanders are playing some great hockey and Lee is buried on the depth chart, recording only two points in the 11 games he’s played. With players such as Matt Martin playing over him, Lee’s confidence can’t be too high, and it’s a shame that such a creative player is being stifled. In the five games he’s played with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers, he has five points and is showing why he was a highly-rated prospect.
Teams like the Bruins, the banged-up Columbus Blue Jackets and the Arizona Coyotes could use a player like Lee. The Islanders could also use any potential draft pick(s) they get in a trade because the Boychuk, Nick Leddy and debacle that was the Thomas Vanek trade has sapped them dry of draft picks in the next few years.
Freeing Lee while replenishing their depleted draft pick pool is win-win for the player and the team.
Share 
