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New York Islanders trade away former third overall pick to the Western Conference and Drouin has a new home


Sam Walker
Mar 6, 2026  (3:28 PM)
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates his goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning with New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13), New York Islanders left wing Jonathan Drouin (29) and New York Islanders left wing Anthony Duclair (11) during the first period at UBS Arena.
Photo credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Jonathan Drouin trade chatter hit the NHL trade deadline hard, and New York Islanders fans felt that familiar stomach drop.

A social clip making the rounds on Friday tied Drouin to a package for Brayden Schenn, plus a pile of picks.
The problem is, the strongest reporting on the actual Schenn move points somewhere else.
Multiple reports say the New York Islanders acquired Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues, with the return framed as a first, a third, and a prospect.
None of that coverage includes Jonathan Drouin heading out the door.
That matters because Drouin is not just a name on the lineup card right now, he's producing.
He's sitting at 3-17-20 this season in an Islanders sweater, and the fit has been more playmaker than passenger.
Schenn, meanwhile, arrives with 12-16-28 and the kind of hard-nosed middle-ice game coaches lean on when the checking tightens.

Jonathan Drouin and the New York Islanders rumor test

Islanders fans are exhausted by deadline smoke, so it's hard not to roll your eyes when a clean story turns into a messy fantasy trade.
If Drouin was actually part of a Schenn deal, you would expect that to show up fast in the main transaction reports.
Instead, the only «extra» name floating in the rumor is prospect goaltender Marcus Gidlof.
Gidlof is 20, drafted in 2024 in Round 5 by the New York Islanders, 147th overall.
So here's the read: treat the Drouin angle as unconfirmed until a team release or a major tracker locks it in.
On the ice, adding Schenn without subtracting Drouin would be a real boost to the top-nine mix and the second unit on the man advantage.
Now we wait for the official trade call sheet, because Friday deadline chaos loves one last twist before the next game.
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New York Islanders trade away former third overall pick to the Western Conference and Drouin has a new home

Should the New York Islanders keep Jonathan Drouin after this deadline scare?


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