As of Monday, defenseman Travis Hamonic remains a member of the New York Islanders, with that designation unlikely to change any time in the immediate future. That being said, the number of suitors to have thrown their hat into the ring for Hamonic has seemingly grown - or at least reports of more teams throwing their hats into the ring has increased - with the Anaheim Ducks now having joined the ever-growing list of teams who, unsurprisingly, have an interest in adding a top-four defenseman in his prime.
Per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Ducks have already made at least one offer and while there wasn't a "fit" there and then, it sounds like Anaheim GM Bob Murray may not be ready to give up just yet.
"Now, I think - and Damien deserves credit for this too - I'm not convinced now that Anaheim is out on this," Friedman said Monday, while appearing on Calgary's Sportsnet 960, via Today's Slap Shot. "Because they have defensemen they can trade and if the Islanders decide that 'We've got to make the best trade for ourselves,' Anaheim might be the fit.
"And I just wonder - I don't know if Hamonic is willing to go to Anaheim or not, but I think they're in on this. And I think they want to be in on this."
Hamonic, of course, is dealing with family issues that are pushing him to seek a return to Western Canada. Initial reports suggested the Winnipeg Jets were his No. 1 destination, with the other NHL franchises in that immediate area - the Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks - being mentioned as possibilities and reportedly having varying degrees of interest in a deal.
For the Ducks, they don't fit Hamonic's prerequisite of being in the Manitoba region. But they may have the ammo to get a deal done, which, per Friedman, is really what the whole situation likely boils down to for the Islanders and GM Garth Snow.
"Well, the one thing about Snow is he has tried to do right by Hamonic," Friedman said, per Today's Slap Shot's transcription. "When I was chasing the story last week and reached out to the Islanders to try to get them to talk, he could have easily buried the kid and said, 'Yeah. He's demanded a trade and we're going to deal him.' He didn't do that. So he's trying to do right by him.
"But I do think that you reach a point where you say, 'You know what? We've got to take care of our organization too.'"
Snow is said to be determined to see a player of Hamonic's ilk return in any deal. The Ducks and Murray have a number of young defenseman that could help facilitate a trade. Friedman reported earlier this month that he "keeps hearing" Cam Fowler's name bandied about in possible trade talk.
The Ducks are also said to be itching to get Shea Theodore up to the NHL level soon.
Fowler, just 23, has been playing on the top pairing alongside veteran Kevin Bieksa of late for Anaheim. He's got three goals and three assists in 21 games this season. The former first-round pick is in the third season of a five-year deal that carries an annual cap hit of $4 million.
He's seemingly become a strong veteran presence and locker room leader despite his young age for the Ducks, and yet rumors and reports continue to swirl that he may be available in trade, likely due to the developing talent behind him on the Ducks blueline.
Is there a deal to be had there? It seems unlikely based on Hamonic's reported geographic preferences. But in the end, Snow and the Islanders will have to ensure that they do right by the franchise as much as they do right by Hamonic. And that could mean a trade to the West Coast where he'll at least be closer to home, if not necessarily a short drive away.
