The New York Islanders spent much of their offseason trying to fix a defense that still had some obvious soft spots, even after Matthew Schaefer and Ryan Pulock carried the top pairing and helped the team beat expectations. The big-name free agents never landed, but a trade possibility has now surfaced that could change the look of the blue line: Thomas Harley.
Harley’s name entered the picture after the Dallas Stars explored a deal for Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski. Dallas reportedly included Harley in part of the package it offered, and even though that trade never happened, the possibility of Harley being available has not gone away.
If anything, the situation seems messy enough to leave Harley with reason to want a new home. The Stars were willing to use him as bait, and that kind of move can leave a player feeling like the organization is already looking elsewhere.
On the ice, though, Harley has the kind of profile the Islanders could use. His scoring dipped, but he still delivered a strong season: six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 70 games.
He also blocked a career-high 148 shots, added 39 hits, and forced 36 takeaways. The underlying numbers were solid too.
Natural Stat Trick had him at a 51.15 HDCF% and a 49.87 xG%, both signs that he was more than holding his own when it came to limiting quality chances against.
Skating is the trait that really jumps off the page with Harley. NHL Edge tracked him at a max speed of 22.12 mph, which landed in the 67th percentile, and he covered 4.53 miles per game, a figure that sat in the 96th percentile last season.
That mobility shows up all over his game. He can jump into the attack and help create offense, but he also uses that same speed to clog lanes and get in front of shots.
For the Islanders, the fit is easy to see. Harley could slide onto the second pair next to Scott Mayfield, and the two would balance each other well.
Harley brings the skating, while Mayfield brings the physical edge Harley lacks. That setup would also let Adam Pelech drop to the bottom pair with Alexander Romanov, giving New York a more traditional shutdown look down the lineup.
Of course, the price tag is the real obstacle. Harley carries a $10.5 million average annual value for the next eight seasons, and the Islanders have just over four million in cap space. To make it work, they would need Dallas to keep some money on the books, which the Stars would likely resist, or New York would have to clear space another way.
Even with that financial headache, Harley’s age, skill, and contract make him the kind of player worth chasing. If the Stars’ Werenski pursuit really puts him on the market, the Islanders could end up with a chance to add a legitimate core defenseman.
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