The NHL is back in action after its damn-near-monthlong Olympic break with eight games tonight, though the Islanders don’t resume until tomorrow night in Montreal, one of 12 games Thursday.
That didn’t keep them from kicking off the looming trade frenzy, though, with a minor league swap of Julien Gauthier to the Blues/Springfield for Matt Luff for the Isles/Bridgeport. This continues what is becoming a tradition of late-season scrapyard swaps between these two franchises.
Both guys have NHL experience and can step in when needed, but they are primarily AHL resources at this point. The Blues are terrible this season and have dealt with a cascade of forward injuries but only afforded Luff five NHL games. He’s been a scorer in the A though. Gauthier looked like he might have a chance at a regular bottom-line role a couple of seasons ago before injuries derailed both 2024-25 and 2025-26.