The New York Islanders' third line has been a problem in 2019-20. It's an issue that has shoehorned Barry Trotz into shortening his bench during games all season. Enter: Kieffer Bellows. While others have tried, and failed, to inject some life into that line, Bellows has been greatly successful at it through two games. So how does this change the trade deadline plan?
Firstly, two games is obviously an inadequate sample size to know if a player can replicate performances. However, should Bellows' early success translate into long-term consistency for he and his linemates, it becomes a realistic notion that this kid could alter the Islanders' plans for this year and beyond.