Josh Bailey could be infuriating. At many points during his 15 seasons with the Islanders, watching him was frustrating, baffling, confusing and rankling. On his trip to No. 7 on the Islanders all-time scoring list and third on the team’s all time games played list, he also led all post-Dynasty Islanders in fan trade proposals, calls for benchings or waivings, and directives to be launched into the deepest reaches of space.
The Draft Day trade that sent Bailey to the Chicago Blackhawks along with a second round pick in 2026 for “future considerations” (aka absolutely nothing) came out of nowhere.