from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

So forget about all those in-your-dreams scenarios that made quickly made the rounds, in which potential unrestricted defencemen on the Winnipeg Jets, the Edmonton Oilers or the Calgary Flames were eagerly linked to the Islanders in a possible deal for Hamonic.

The NHL trading game doesn’t work that way. No one gives up a good player on an attractive contract (seven years, $27-million) for an unsigned player that will strike it rich in free agency, either with his current club or on the open market next July.

Moreover, if, in three months of talking back and forth with potential trading partners, the Islanders were unable to find a suitable deal, how does it get any easier, now that Hamonic’s wishes spilled into the public domain?

The answer is: It doesn’t. It gets more challenging.

Hamonic, for those who don’t know much about him, is one of those quietly coveted NHL players that teams believe can help them win championships. He leads the Islanders in minutes played, which is a sure sign of how much trust coach Jack Capuano puts in him.

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