thomas hickey

New York Islanders: Can Thomas Hickey revive his career?

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New York Islanders, Thomas Hickey

New York Islanders‘ defenseman Thomas Hickey has been on the Islanders for a long time. And by a long time, I mean 7 full years. Thomas Hickey has produced many memorable moments in his 7-year tenure with the Isles.

No Islander fan can forget his overtime winner against the Washington Capitals to clinch their spot in the 2015 Playoffs. Nowadays, Hickey is the 8th defenseman on the Islanders and an AHL mainstay. With the trade of Devon Toews and possibly Johnny Boychuk, can Thomas Hickey make the NHL roster?

No, He Can’t

I’ll be making a case for both sides here because this is a really good argument. Thomas Hickey hasn’t played an NHL game since 2018. And it’s not like Johnny Boychuk or the young Noah Dobson was lightyears ahead of him. Hell, even Sebastian Aho, is ahead of him in the depth chart.

Thomas Hickey won’t play in an Islanders uniform again unless 3 defenders all go down at once. Hickey was terrible in the AHL, as he only recorded 3 points against bad competition. Hickey is an offensive defenseman, 3 points against B-level talent in 14 games his unacceptable. Thomas Hickey is done on the Island. But, no one is taking his $2.5 million dollar cap hit.

Yes, He Can

Thomas Hickey’s time to shine is right now. God has sent down a blessing for Hickey. I mean, Sebastian Aho will never be NHL ready, and who is going to take Boychuk’s spot? Andy Greene is going to be with Nick Leddy. Adam Pelech will obviously be with Ryan Pulock. And Scott Mayfield will be with Noah Dobson. The 7th defenseman, the one who will have to be ready to play every night. Thomas Hickey can get some serious minutes even if a defender doesn’t get hurt. Thomas Hickey’s career can be revived by being a solid 7th defender.

Two Islanders’ players who could be traded due to salary complications

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New York Islanders, Nick Leddy

The New York Islanders are facing tumultuous times in the coming days with portions of the revised collective bargaining agreement being leaked. The salary cap is expected to freeze for the next two seasons with the NHLPA attempting to ratify terms this week.

Ultimately, the Islanders will have to make some difficult decisions on players to lower their expenses. The entire NHL will have to make tough choices, and players will undoubtedly lose their jobs or be traded.

Let’s take a look at two players the Islanders could trade:

1.) Thomas Hickey

Hickey was one of the Islander players that struggled the most last season. He can be a decent pairing on the third line of defenseman, but with $2.5 million left on his deal over two years, he could be a better fit on another team. Andy Graziano of WFAN believes he is a prime candidate to be treated since management instilled their confidence in Noah Dobson.

With the league hoping to restart early in 2021, the timetable to conclude the 2020 season and crown a champion is being expedited.

To give you an idea of how poor Hickey played in 2019, the year prior in 2018, he posted five goals and 20 assists over 69 games played. This past season, he played in 40 games and logged zero goals and just four assists. He also logged 33 penalty minutes compared to 24 in 2018, which is nearly a 20 game differential.

Finding a way to gain any sort of value from him would be extravagant for general manager Lou Lamoriello.

2.) Nick Leddy

Leddy has seen his performance consistently decrease as he increases in age. He is no spring chicken to the rumor mill, and he could be a player the Islanders could find a new home for. He is currently on a seven-year, $38.5 million deal. He would be in the fifth year of his contract, with two years left at $5.5 million per season.

His price tag would be a nice saving for the Islanders, but considering he’s almost 30 years old, gaining ample value from him will be difficult.