Kyle Okposo's name is now part of the offseason rumor mill. (USATSI)
Kyle Okposo's name is now part of the offseason rumor mill. (USATSI)

The New York Islanders are coming off a thrilling season that fell disappointingly short in the playoffs. They’ll have a chance to return next year with largely the same roster. However, that doesn’t mean typically aggressive general manager Garth Snow is going to be sitting on his hands this offseason.

In fact, Snow may already be working the angles ahead of the NHL Entry Draft, in which the Islanders do not have a pick in the first two rounds. One possible trade chip for the team is one you might not expect, as Arthur Staple of Newsday reports:

Kyle Okposo, who is entering the final season of a five-year, $14-million contract, could be on the trading block, according to two league sources outside the Islanders' organization.

Snow would not discuss specific players, but he told Newsday he will be busy fielding and making trade proposals, either to move players or maneuver up the draft board with only a pair of picks among the first 100 selections at his disposal.

"There's a lot of different scenarios that could play out," Snow said. "There could be a trade where we acquire a first or a second. We prepare the same way for this draft that we have in past drafts, because you just don't know what's going to happen."

So why Okposo, who is coming off of the two best seasons of his career which could have even been better if not for injury? As with any trade, it's about the potential for a massive return.

Okposo has a $2.8 million cap hit for one more season. It’s ridiculously cheap for a player that notched 120 points in 131 games over the last two seasons. With so many teams battling salary cap issues, he’s the kind of guy that can fit into a contending team that needs to be cautious on salary.

Plus, the Isles have a lot of work over these next two summers. Brock Nelson and Anders Lee, two big contributors to last year’s team, are due new contracts as restricted free agents as of July 1. After next season, the Isles have Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen hitting unrestricted free agency with Ryan Strome becoming a restricted free agent. Grabner and Nielsen are also good trade chips, though neither carries the external value as Okposo.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that it might be better to say that the Islanders are testing the market for Okposo as opposed to outright shopping him.

That was the first I heard of Okposo, but it’s indicative of what is happening out there. There are a lot of prominent names getting thrown around/asked about. We throw around words like “shopped,” and “available,” but a fairer way of describing it might be “tested.” I think there’s a lot of that going on, with GMs discussing certain players (or asking about them), just to see what nibbles they get.

That’s a smart move. Knowing that his next contract is going to be massive, perhaps even in the $6 to $7 million range, finding out if there’s a way to improve the team for next season and keep building towards the bright future ahead of the Islanders just makes sense.

The Islanders don’t have to do anything here. They’re working from a position of great strength, which means Snow doesn’t have to do a deal unless it’s a home run. Teams looking to acquire Okposo may be a little wary of the one year left and the eye surgery he had to repair a damaged retina last season. That said, if a team sees itself as a legitimate contender in 2015-16, Okposo is the kind of player that makes a lot of sense to spend a little more on.

That miniscule cap hit makes Okposo a particularly valuable player and now one of the more interesting names potentially on the market this summer. If the club doesn't end up moving Okposo, it would make sense for the Isles to hammer out an extension this summer as the 27-year-old has really come into his own.

The odds of the Islanders moving a core player seem slim, but you can never sleep on Snow to make a splash if he sees something he likes.