Possible Leafs UFA target could land in Long Island after Isles missed out on Kadri
The New York Islanders have had a brutal offseason any way you slice it. They have not announced any UFA signings, nor have they been overly active in the trade market. The Islanders made just one move this summer, acquiring Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens at the draft and after missing out on Johnny Gaudreau and Nazem Kadri, most of the UFA market has passed them by.
There's still some time to work with, however, and GM Lou Lamoriello can still make a splash via trade and there are a few UFA's worth inquiring on - one of which is former Anaheim Ducks forward Sonny Milano.
Isles beat reporter Stefan Rosner revealed on Saturday that the Islanders could indeed make a pitch to Milano as a bit of a consolation piece after missing out on Kadri. The NY post's Ethan Sears echoed that sentiment, but views Milano as more of a bottom six add than a viable top six option.
Milano has been viewed by Leafs fans as a prime UFA target this summer and a possible replacement for Alexander Kerfoot in the Leafs' middle six. The thought process there is that Milano could start in the top six, much like Nick Ritchie did last season, and if things aren't going according to plan, the Buds could always slide him down into a bottom six role and elevate someone else, much like they did with Michael Bunting last season.
Given the fact that Milano still has not signed a deal, his UFA stocked has likely dropped significantly. He may be able to be had for nearly the same AAV that he carried last season ($1.7M) if not only a marginal increase, despite having played in the top six for the Ducks last season.
The Isles need to do something and while Milano alone may not win Lamoriello any more GM of the Year awards, the signing could act as a catalyst to open up some more possibilities for the Islanders either in the UFA market or in the trade market. He'll have to hurry up though, as he's running out of runway to get something done.
