Isles Day to Day: Isles Trade Toews to Colorado

Lou Lamoriello had to have a difficult conversation with Devon Toews on Monday afternoon, speaking with the defenseman before
dealing him to Colorado for a pair of second-round picks
in 2021 and 2022.
Lamoriello said it wasn't a move he wanted to have to make, or that it was any indictment against Toews as a player, but was a necessary deal to help alleviate the team's cap crunch and acquire assets. Toews was a restricted free agent, along with Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock, and had filed for arbitration. The salary cap will stay at $81.5M for next season.

"[The cap] certainly played a role unfortunately," Lamoriello said. "The combination of a player going to arbitration was an unknown and being able to acquire assets, which we sort of used in previous trades, it was all inclusive."

Toews' age (26) and offensive production drew interest, so Lamoriello said the trade evolved naturally, as opposed to the team actively shopping him.
"It takes two to make any transaction," Lamoriello said. "Devon was the individual who was involved, that's the best way to put it. Not that he was a player targeted. That would be disrespectful to him and what he's done for us. I had a conversation with him and certainly it was a difficult conversation because he's such a quality human being as well as a good hockey player."
Toews recorded 46 points (11G, 35A) in 116 games for the Islanders. Rookie Noah Dobson, the team's 2018 first-round pick (12th overall), is expected to see an expanded role to help fill Toews' void. Lamoriello said Dobson's development in his rookie season made him feel comfortable dealing Toews. Dobson had seven points (1G, 6A) in 34 games this past season.
"We would not have made this move if the ice time that Devon received, we didn't have the ability to put a player into that. Noah Dobson, we feel, is certainly ready to take the next step," Lamoriello said.