NY Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello brushes off possibilty of high-value trade assests Kyle Palmieri, Brock Nelson walking away for free

NY Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello dismissed concerns about losing Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Both players have expiring contracts and could be valuable assets before the March 7 trade deadline. Despite the team’s struggles, Lamoriello said that they aren't thinking about selling players.

“Once again, you’re dealing with a hypothetical situation," Lamoriello said on Thursday, via New York Post. "I don’t get into that. I don’t mean that not to answer your question. It’s just fact and truth if you have any sort of background to what I believe. And it’s not something in my mind right now.”

The Islanders are 16-18-7 and seventh in the Metropolitan Division. Their power play and penalty kill are the worst in the NHL at 10.9% and 64.4%, respectively. Lamoriello remains focused on the team’s five-point gap to the Blue Jackets, who hold the second wild-card spot.

“The focus is on who we are here, right now," Lamoriello said. "We’re just focused on playing the best hockey we can and seeing where we’re at, at the appropriate time. But I’m not even thinking about that (trading players).”

The NY Islanders have dealt with injuries throughout the season. Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair recently returned but Simon Holmstrom and others remain sidelined. Despite the challenges, they secured a 4-0 shutout win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday and a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

Lamoriello believes the team can still succeed.

"In my opinion, we have the talent in there to do that," Lamoriello said. "Now, the results aren’t what we want. I don’t take anything off them. It’s up to them. We have to get it done."

While the Islanders’ approach could change closer to the trade deadline, Lamoriello’s focus is on competing and is not ready to give up on the season.

NY Islanders shutout win over Vegas Golden Knights

The NY Islanders defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0 on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves for his second shutout this season and 20th in his NHL career. Anders Lee scored first at 17:04 of the opening period.

Brock Nelson made it 2-0 early in the second period, firing a wrist shot from Mathew Barzal’s drop pass. Bo Horvat added to the lead at 10:41, finishing a one-timer after a setup by Kyle Palmieri.

Casey Cizikas scored the final goal into an empty net at 17:26. The NY Islanders' strong defense and opportunistic offense secured their second straight win.