It appears that Travis Hamonic, the best right-shooting defenceman who was definitely in play via trade, is now off the market. It’s fantastic news for the New York Islanders, but for anybody looking for help on the blue line this is unfortunate.

That list most definitely includes the Edmonton Oilers.

Without Hamonic himself pushing for a move, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where the Islanders seriously consider a trade (barring egregious overpay). 

Hamonic played nearly 24 minutes per game during the regular season, placing him No. 1 on the team’s defensive depth chart. He is currently 25 years old and can be expected to play at his level for at least the next five years, with the potential for at least some improvement still on the table. He has four more seasons on a bargain contract with a cap hit that comes in at less than $5.0 million.

It’s hard to overstate how good a fit he would have been for the Oilers, or how vital he is to New York. 

Hamonic would not have addressed Edmonton’s need for a power play defenceman, but as an even-strength stabilizer nobody else on the market comes close. Kevin Shattenkirk in St. Louis is an exceptional rearguard and generally assumed to be available, but the role that Hamonic plays for the Islanders is filled by Alex Pietrangelo on the Blues roster. Sami Vatanen and Jason Demers, two other oft-mentioned defenders, come nowhere near playing those heavy even-strength minutes either.

It will now be much more difficult for Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli to address the greatest positional weakness on his team. I would imagine that this dramatically increases the likelihood of Edmonton taking a by-committee approach to its blue line this summer.