Scott Mayfield’s situation with the Islanders is starting to look increasingly fragile.
According to The Fourth Period, the veteran defenseman may be nearing the end of his run on Long Island after struggling to earn a regular spot in the lineup early this season. Mayfield has suited up for just two games so far and was not expected to play Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 34-year-old, who turned 34 last week, is in the fourth season of a seven-year, $24.5 million contract. He has a full no-trade clause this season, and that protection drops to a 16-team no-trade list next year.
Mayfield has not asked for a trade yet, but there is a growing belief that could change if the healthy scratches keep piling up. Any deal would need his approval, though that may not be a major obstacle given how little he has played.
The report also noted that the Ducks, Kings, Blackhawks and Kraken are among the teams seeking help on defense, while Nashville and Toronto are also looking for support but leaning toward younger options. Mayfield finished last season with 15 points, including two goals and 13 assists, in 80 games for the Islanders.
Elsewhere, Dallas will be without Esa Lindell for at least a week because of a lower-body injury, according to Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine. Lindell was hurt while blocking a shot in Saturday’s 4-0 win over Chicago and had already been ruled out for Tuesday’s game in Boston.
That absence matters for a Stars team that entered the night allowing the fewest goals in the NHL. Lindell leads Dallas in blocked shots and remains a key piece of one of the league’s strongest penalty kills.
In San Jose, Alexander Wennberg is day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not play Tuesday against Montreal, per Sharks writer Curtis Pashelka. Wennberg left Monday’s loss in Toronto during the third period and did not return.
The veteran center, who signed a three-year extension earlier this year, has been a steady all-situations player for the Sharks, logging roughly 20 minutes per night. Ty Dellandrea took his spot in the lineup.
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The late-game choices against Dallas added a different layer to the conversation, though, because the Bruins were trying to protect a lead and the Stars kept pressing until the game flipped on them. Sturm has earned the benefit of the doubt with how the season has begun, but the finish against Dallas also hinted at the kind of bench-management questions that tend to surface once the standings tighten and every decision gets magnified. [Read more 🡒]