A weekend of horrors for the New York Islanders could very well prove to be the final pair of home games for forward Thomas Vanek and defenseman Andrew MacDonald in Islanders uniforms.
Penguins interested in Vancouver's Ryan Kesler
The Islanders lost 6-1 to the New Jersey Devils at the Nassau Coliseum Saturday afternoon and followed it up with a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers Sunday, and the team will likely be looking to deal Vanek and MacDonald prior to Wednesday's 3 p.m. ET NHL trade deadline.
Vanek scored twice to put the Islanders ahead of the Panthers in Sunday's game only to have the team cough up the two-goal lead and lose 5-3 in what was the 10th time the team blew a two-goal lead this season in 32 games on home ice.
Rangers mulling a trade of captain Ryan Callahan?
The Islanders are 23-32-8, last place in the Metropolitan Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference, and have won a league-low nine games at home this season.
For Vanek and MacDonald, it may have been their swan song in front of the Long Island faithful.
Devils thinking about trading franchise veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur
The two straight losses for New York are the latest in a span of seven defeats in nine games, and general manager Garth Snow could be looking to make a change before the deadline. If it does prove to be their final game at home for the Islanders, it was a woeful way for Vanek and MacDonald, who played his 295th NHL game, all with the Islanders, to go out.
"Up a goal or two, it should be automatic to win those," said MacDonald per Newsday. "When you get a lead, you should be able to close it out."
Vanek, who has played just 47 games with the Islanders after being acquired from the Sabres earlier in the season, said he and MacDonald were trying their best to block out the trade speculation.
"You try to block it out, but it's hard not to," Vanek told Newsday.
Vanek rejected a seven-year $50-million offer from the Islanders in January, saying that he wanted to test the open market. Upon turning down that offer, it became clear that the Islanders need to move the unrestricted free agent-to-be rather than lose him in July to free agency for nothing.
MacDonald also turned down an offer from the Islanders earlier this year, a four-year deal worth $16 million. MacDonald admitted after Sunday's loss that he realizes his days on Long Island may be numbered.
"I've only ever been here," MacDonald said, according to Newsday. "I don't know anything different. You try not to think about it, but obviously it's running through your mind. It's a business and that's just how it is right now, I guess. This is obviously not how I'd like to go out."
Vanek, 30, is 21-32-53 through 60 games between the Sabres and Islanders this season and has 44 points in 47 games off of 17 goals and 27 assists for the Islanders this season while MacDonald has 24 points 63 games off of four tallies and 20 helpers.
Vanek, MacDonald and the Islanders travel to Winnipeg on Monday ahead of an encounter with the Jets on Tuesday. Where they go from there is anyone's guess.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
