The Islanders have enjoyed the return in recent deals with the Oilers and they went back to the bank Saturday for their first trade of the season.
Ahead of the trade deadline Monday at 3 p.m., the Islanders acquired defenseman Brandon Davidson from Edmonton in exchange for a 2019 third-round pick.
In the midst of his fourth season in the NHL, the 26-year-old lefty has three goals and two assists in 36 games split between the Oilers and Canadiens. He was claimed on waivers in December by the Oilers from Montreal, 10 months after Edmonton traded him to the Canadiens for current Rangers forward David Desharnais.
With two defensemen currently on injured reserve, the Islanders were in need of blueline depth. Calvin de Haan has been out since Dec. 16 with a shoulder injury and is likely out for the season while Scott Mayfield has out since Feb. 5 with lower-body injury and could return next month.
“I’ve started to play some of my best hockey here over the past month,” Davidson told reporters Saturday in Edmonton. “Maybe that’s something [the Islanders] have seen.”
The Islanders had the open roster spot for Davidson after placing forward Alan Quine on injured reserve Friday. The trade had not been announced when coach Doug Weight met with reporters Saturday morning ahead of the Islanders’ game against the Devils, but he said this time of the year always comes with uncertainty.
“I don’t care if you feel you’re safe or you’re not or you want to get traded or you don’t want to get traded or you want a contact — this is always a time where things bubble over a little bit and get in your head a little bit,” Weight said. “Monday at 3 o’clock is Monday at 3 o’clock. We’ve been through it as players and different pieces of the organization. [General manager Garth Snow] and management will do what’s best for our team.”
The Islanders and Oilers have been active trade partners in recent years. In the offseason they swapped Jordan Eberle for Ryan Strome. Eberle has been a consistent force on the Islanders’ second line with 21 goals and 23 assists while Strome has nine goals and 15 assists.
The Oilers had previously sent the Islanders draft picks for defenseman Griffin Reinhart. Those picks turned into Anthony Beauvillier and Calder Trophy contender Mathew Barzal.