Isles Ship Andrew Ladd And Picks To The Coyotes

The Isles have finally shed Andrew Ladd's contract, sending him along with two 2nd round picks - one this year and one in 2022 - and a 3rd round pick in 2023 to the Arizona Coyotes. Conditions for next year's 2nd round pick are that Arizona gets the better of New York's two 2nd rounders: either theirs or the pick they received from the Avalanche in exchange for Devon Toews. The 2023 3rd round pick reverts to the Isles unless Ladd plays a game for the Coyotes in the 2022-2023 season. The Islanders have confirmed that they won't receive anything in return from Arizona. The trade is purely to offload Ladd and his cap hit.

Ladd has had a rough go since signing a 7-year $5.5 million contract with the Islanders in 2016. His goal scoring was on point in his first year in New York, scoring 23 goals and 31 points in 78 games. Those totals dropped to just 12 goals and 29 points in 73 games the next year, then 3 goals and 11 points in 26 games the year after. Since then, Ladd has split time between the Islanders and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL. Last season he only played one game for the Tigers, finishing the year with zero points. Clearly, his production has not lived up to the contract he signed, and the Islanders were getting desperate to move on and free up that cap space.

However, Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong says he hopes Ladd will play next season. They want Ladd to be a leader for the team and help change the culture in the locker room. Armstrong added that Ladd will still have to earn his ice time, but for a team that will reportedly have an internal salary cap of just $65 million next season, they may not have much choice in the matter if they plan to ice a team at all. Armstrong has, above all, bought himself the chance to show off his rookie scouting prowess, as the Coyotes now have three 2nd round picks in the upcoming 2021 Entry Draft.

Was Ladd a good pickup for the Coyotes, or a good expulsion by the Islanders?

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