NHL Trade Buzz: 'Decisions have to be made' after Islanders' 5th loss in 7 games

Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are three days remaining until the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET Friday). Here's a look around the League at the latest Deadline doings:

New York Islanders

The direction the Islanders will take before the Trade Deadline may be clearer after a 4-0 loss at the New York Rangers on Monday. The Islanders (27-26-7) have lost five of their past seven games and are five points behind the Detroit Red Wings and Rangers for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference with 22 games remaining.

The Islanders play their final game before the Deadline on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets at UBS Arena (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, TSN3), their last chance to convince general manager Lou Lamoriello not to trade pending unrestricted free agents such as forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri for potential future pieces.

“Every guy knows the situation and where we’re at and what we’re fighting for,” defenseman Ryan Pulock said. “Obviously, decisions have to be made, and we know that sometimes they’re dependent on winning and losing.”

Nelson has been the subject of much trade speculation because he is in the final season of a six-year contract and would be a valuable addition for a contender seeking to strengthen its forward depth. The 33-year-old has 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists) in 60 games this season.

Palmieri, who is in the last of a four-year contract, also could draw interest. The 34-year-old has 40 points (19 goals, 21 assists) in 60 games.

“As a group, we’re disappointed in ourselves,” Palmieri said. “What kind of message that sends to whoever is what it is. We’re the guys in this room that control it.”

San Jose Sharks

Vitek Vanecek will not start at the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET: NBCSCA, MSG-B) for trade protection purposes, Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky said.

However, Vanecek will serve as the backup goalie for Alexandar Georgiev.

Vanecek is in the last of a three-year, $10.2 million contract ($3.4 million average annual value) he signed with the New Jersey Devils on July 19, 2022, and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

The 29-year-old was traded to Sharks on March 8, 2024. He is 3-10-3 with a 3.88 goals-against average and an .882 save percentage in 18 games (17 starts) this season.

San Jose (16-37-9) is last in the NHL standings.

A second-round pick (No. 39) by the Washington Capitals at the 2014 NHL Draft, Vanecek is 94-52-20 with a 2.82 GAA, a .903 save percentage and nine shutouts in 181 regular-season games (169 starts) with the Capitals, Devils and Sharks, and 2-4 with a 4.52 GAA and an .834 save percentage in 10 Stanley Cup Playoff games (seven starts).

Philadelphia Flyers

Rasmus Ristolainen is trying to block out talk he might be moved by the Flyers before the Deadline, but the 30-year-old defenseman understands it’s part of the business.

“It’s obviously not the first time and it’s one of those things I can’t really control, so I don’t really bother my mind with it,” Ristolainen said after practice Monday. “I just come in every day and work hard.”

Ristolainen has two more seasons remaining after this on the five-year, $25.5 million contract ($5.1 million average annual value) he signed with Philadelphia on March 22, 2022. So, the Flyers don’t have an urgency to trade Ristolainen, who has 19 points (four goals, 15 assists) and has averaged 20:31 of ice time in 59 games this season.

But a right-shot defenseman under contract for two more seasons could bring in valuable assets for Philadelphia, which is trying to simultaneously rebuild and be competitive. The Flyers (27-26-8) are 4-0-1 in their past five games to move within four points of the Red Wings and Rangers for the second wild card in the East heading into a home game against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, SNW).

So, Ristolainen hasn’t given up on getting his first experience in the NHL playoffs with the Flyers this season.

“I do believe in this locker room,” he said. “I feel we’re a very, very tight group, and obviously, after the (4 Nations) break, we’ve been playing some really good hockey and able to grab some wins and points. And I believe we can keep going and we can take it day by day and game by game and I believe we can make a push.”

Utah Hockey Club

If Karel Vejmelka has his choice, he'll remain with Utah well beyond the Deadline.

The 28-year-old goalie is in the last of a three-year contract he signed in 2022 and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent July 1 but hopes to re-sign.

"For sure," Vejmelka told the Salt Lake Tribune on Tuesday. "I don't have reasons to change anything. It's the first thing on my mind to be part of the team … we're like a big family. I would like to be part of it for a couple more years. It's a really important thing to me, but my agent is working on it."

Vejmelka is 16-16-4 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and one shutout in 38 games (35 starts) this season with Utah (27-25-9), which is two points behind the Calgary Flames for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference. Vejmelka could help a contending team looking to strengthen its goaltending depth with a rental player, but general manager Bill Armstrong told NHL.com last week that he wants to give Utah's current roster a chance to battle its way into the playoffs and, "We're not buyers and we're not sellers."

"We're in a position where, unless something is dynamic that can help us when we get to our window to win, we probably won't make a move unless something changes from now to then," Armstrong said.

Florida Panthers

The Panthers strengthened their defense by acquiring Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday, but they gave up goalie Spencer Knight, who backed up Sergei Bobrovsky this season, as part of the deal. Chris Driedger was recalled from Charlotte of the American Hockey League to back up Bobrovsky for Florida’s 2-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.

Driedger is 31-24-5 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and five shutouts in 67 career regular-season games with Florida and the Seattle Kraken, but hasn’t played in the NHL since Jan. 16, 2024, with Seattle. The 30-year-old was 10-6-4 with a 2.97 GAA and an .878 save percentage in 20 games with Charlotte this season.

If the Panthers decide to try upgrade their backup goalie, they have the salary cap space after placing forward Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve Sunday. General manager Bill Zito was tight-lipped, though, when asked Monday about his plans for utilizing that space.

“I don’t know that it necessarily says anything other than we have space,” Zito said.

The Panthers (38-21-3), who are tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs for first in the Atlantic Division, might also seek to strengthen their forward depth to boost their bid to repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

NHL.com independent correspondents Stefen Rosner and George Richards contributed to this report