Kyle McLaren is expected to soon become a member of the Islanders in a trade that would send Brad Isbister to Boston for the holdout defenseman.
Rumors increased late this week that Isles GM Mike Milbury is close to completing a deal that would bring the 6-foot-4, 230-pound defenseman to the Island in exchange for Isbister, who is currently nursing an ankle injury.
Reports out of Canada have said that the only thing holding up the deal, besides Isbister’s balky ankle, is Milbury’s refusal to add a second-round draft pick to the package. He’s more willing to part with a fourth-rounder.
Another possible deal that was floating around earlier in the week that had defenseman Roman Hamrlik headed to Tampa Bay in the three-way deal for McLaren, who is holding out this year, has since been shot down. However, Hamrlik’s name could come up again as the Islanders still lack offensive firepower, specifically on Alexei Yashin’s left wing.
Should the deal go down, McLaren, who played for coaches Peter Laviolette and Jacques Laperriere two years ago when both were assistants in Boston, would be the third core player who came to the Isles after nasty contract stalemates. Both Yashin and Michael Peca found refuge at the Coliseum after sitting out seasons in Ottawa and Buffalo.
The good news for Islander fans is that Milbury has refused the inclusion of superstar-to-be, Rick DiPietro, anywhere near a deal with the Bruins. The 21-year old goalie is from the Boston area and the Bruins, thin between the pipes, have been in love with the brash DiPietro, who played in two games this season with the Islanders and will start in net at the AHL All-Star Game next month.
Isbister will not be starting in any All-Star Game of any sort in registering a disappointing nine goals and 19 points this year after so much was expected of him coming into the season. He’s been hampered with right ankle problems all season and isn’t expected back on the ice for at least another two weeks, which is also holding up the deal.
Should Milbury steal the redwood defenseman from Beantown, the Islanders’ defense would instantly add snarl and attitude, two personality characteristics they desperately need. They have not cleared the crease in front of their own end well and McLaren, 25, specializes in taking the body. His ultra-physical presence would complement the mobile games of Adrian Aucoin, Roman Hamrlik, Kenny Jonsson and Mattias Timander, and would take pressure off Eric Cairns as being the only one of six D-men who can truly lay the lumber.
If there’s any question about the physicality McLaren would bring, ask Richard Zednik, who was on the wrong end of a nasty clothesline in the first round of last year’s playoffs that touched off a war between the Bruins and Canadiens. That hit was the second biggest one of the playoffs, while Darcy Tucker’s submarine check on Michael Peca was, of course, the loudest throughout hockey.
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The Islanders turned the midpoint of the season with Thursday’s 4-0 loss to the Flyers and entered the second half last night against the lowly Thrashers with an 18-17-5-1 record. Had the season ended yesterday, they would not have qualified for the playoffs. Last year after 41 games, they were 21-13-5-2.
The Islanders’ best player during the first half? Jason Blake, love him or hate him, has been their most consistent and relentless player, leading the team in even-strength scoring with 24 points (and 25 for the season). Blake was fourth on the team in scoring behind Yashin, Mark Parrish and Hamrlik.