It's not a deal either the Edmonton Oilers or the New York Islanders envisioned making when they drafted Jordan Eberle and Ryan Strome, respectively, but years later it was a deal each team needed to make.

The clubs exchanged former first-round selections on Thursday, and while the deal might appear skewed in the Islanders' favor, digging a little deeper it's clear that this trade was one that aids both clubs in different ways.

For Islanders

The benefit for the Islanders is simple: Eberle is an upgrade offensively over Strome. In fact, their totals over the last three seasons show that it's pretty black-and-white between the two.

Eberle should help boost the Islanders' scoring, which was already solid, ranking 10th during the regular season with 2.91 goals per game. It also helps to better spread out the offense across two lines, with budding prospect Josh Ho-Sang able to man the second line alongside Anthony Beauvillier, giving the Islanders a solid two-way punch.

Related: Newest Islander Eberle excited to play with Tavares

Most importantly, though, the trade reunites both Eberle and Jonathan Tavares, who are sure to play together after serving as linemates with Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championship. In fact, the two connected for arguably the most famous goal in the tournament's history, which is still very much engraved in the minds of Canadians everywhere.

The two reportedly still remain in touch, so chemistry shouldn't be an issue. And if reports are true that the Islanders are still in the running to acquire Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche, they might be on the verge of assembling something very special.

For Oilers

They might be getting the slightly less offensively gifted forward in the deal, but the Oilers have bigger fish to fry, which appears to have been the biggest motivator for Peter Chiarelli to pull the trigger on this deal.

Starting July 1, it is believed the Oilers will begin the process of locking up both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl - who becomes a restricted free agent - long term. It's not outrageous to think Draisaitl could command anywhere from $6-8 million per season, while McDavid can essentially set his price at whatever he wants.

So, if the Oilers want to lock those two up - and they would be stupid not to - they're going to need a lot of money to do so.

Thursday's trade allowed the Oilers to shed $3.5 million in salary, giving them slightly less than $24 million heading into next season, when Draisaitl's next contract will kick in (McDavid has one year left on his entry-level deal).

Chiarelli also feels that a change of scenery could help reignite Strome's offensive flare, according to TSN 1260's Jason Gregor, which would also bode very well for the Oilers.

So, while the deal might seem one-sided off the hop, maybe it's just what both Chiarelli and Garth Snow needed to do in order to give their respective teams a boost next season.

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Jordan Eberle and John Tavares will have the opportunity to create magic together once again.

Eberle was dealt to the New York Islanders in a one-for-one deal that sent Ryan Strome back to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. For Eberle, he leaves the only team he's ever played for. Though, getting the chance to play alongside the Islanders captain is something the 27-year-old is already thrilled about.

"John Tavares is a generational player," Eberle said. "I'm excited for the opportunity to play with him and hopefully bring success to the Islanders."

Back in 2009, Eberle and Tavares suited up as linemates for Team Canada at the world juniors and connected for Eberle's iconic goal against Russia in the dying seconds of the semifinals to send the game to overtime. The two would later score the lone shootout goals to send Canada to the gold-medal game.

Years later the two remain in contact and, as Eberle notes, even train together with other members of the Islanders in the offseason.

"The Islanders are a team where I know a lot of the guys," Eberle said. "I've trained with Thomas Hickey, John Tavares, Andrew Ladd, and (Travis) Hamonic."

After tallying his lowest goal total in a full 82-game season since his rookie campaign, maybe playing alongside Tavares is just what Eberle needs to get his numbers back up to the 30-goal range.

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Mark your calendars.

The NHL unveiled the full schedule for the 2017-18 season on Thursday, one day after the 31 teams announced their home openers for the coming campaign.

Here are some games to watch out for:

• The Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators will face off in a rematch of the Stanley Cup Final on Oct. 7.
• The classic rivalry of Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on Alex Ovechkin and Washington Capitals reignites on Oct. 11.
• Hockey's oldest rivalry continues between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, who first renew hostilities on Oct. 14.
• The Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers will take it outdoors on Jan. 1 as part of the 2018 Winter Classic at Citi Field.
• The Vegas Golden Knights, led by goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, will head to Pittsburgh on Feb. 6 to take on the Penguins.

The puck drops for the first time in the 2017-18 regular season on Oct. 4.

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The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenseman David Schlemko from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2019, the team announced Thursday.

The Golden Knights claimed Schlemko from the San Jose Sharks in Wednesday's expansion draft.

He spent one season with the Sharks after previous campaigns with the New Jersey Devils, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, and Arizona Coyotes.

The 30-year-old has appeared in 360 career games and registered 17 goals and 70 assists. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Coyotes in 2007.

Schlemko has three years remaining on his contract, carrying a $2.1-million cap hit.

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The Vegas Golden Knights have flipped their first player.

Vegas traded defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk and a seventh-round draft pick in 2018 to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a second-round selection in Friday's draft, the Hurricanes announced.

The second-round pick is the 62nd overall in Friday's draft and was originally acquired by the Hurricanes from the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the Ron Hainsey trade.

Van Riemsdyk was the Golden Knights' selection from the Blackhawks at Wednesday night's expansion draft. The 25-year-old tallied five goals and 16 points in 58 games with Chicago this season.

With the deal, the Golden Knights now possess six picks in the first two rounds of this year's draft.

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The Edmonton Oilers have traded forward Jordan Eberle to the New York Islanders in exchange for forward Ryan Strome, the Oilers announced Thursday.

Eberle appeared in all 82 games with the Oilers last season, registering 20 goals and 31 assists. Through 13 playoff contests, the 27-year-old was limited to just two points.

Strome - selected fifth overall by the Islanders in 2011 - skated in 69 games last season, finishing with 13 goals and 17 assists.

The move is somewhat of salary cap deal for the Oilers. Eberle was slated to earn $6 million over the next two seasons, while Strome is signed through 2017-18 at $2.5 million.

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One day after the Vegas Golden Knights officially selected their roster, it's time to start looking toward the future.

The team is now in place, but reports suggest that many of the men selected on Wednesday night might not ever take the ice with the Golden Knights as more trades are expected.

Nevertheless, the Golden Knights have done well to stock their cupboard of valuable pieces - pieces that could be around for some time and prove to be the backbone of the franchise.

Here are five players who should be part of the Golden Knights' core in the coming years:

Jonathan Marchessault

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Arguably the biggest surprise when protected lists were unveiled was that the Florida Panthers left Jonathan Marchessault exposed.

It turns out the move was in conjunction with a trade with the Golden Knights that saw the expansion team take on Reilly Smith and his five-year, $25-million contract. Nevertheless, the Golden Knights were able to snag the Panthers' top goal scorer this season.

Marchessault paced his club with 30 goals and added 21 assists in his first full season in the league. To make things even better, the 26-year-old is making just $750,000 this season.

If he can continue to develop and produce like he did this season, then there's no question Marchessault could turn out to be the steal of the expansion draft.

Vadim Shipachyov

The second player to officially join Vegas' NHL squad could turn out to be among their best.

Back in early May, the Golden Knights landed a big fish by inking Russian forward Vadim Shipachyov to a two-year deal. He joins the team not as a rookie but as a seasoned 30-year-old who finished third in KHL scoring last year with 26 goals and 76 points in 50 games.

He also recently represented his country at the World Championship where he posted 13 points in 10 games. He has impeccable vision and a strong release. He could serve as a great set-up man for a sniper such as James Neal and a strong presence on the power play.

Look out.

Shea Theodore

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

While the Golden Knights might not have nabbed Sami Vatanen or Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks, they were still able to grab a bright, puck-moving defenseman.

In Shea Theodore, the Golden Knights get a former first-round pick who has been on the cusp of becoming a full-timer in the NHL but has had the misfortune of being cast aside due to a deep Ducks defensive corps.

Theodore might have dropped on the Ducks' totem pole, but he still holds much value. For one, Theodore is still just 21 years of age, meaning he still has much more maturing and developing to come. He towers at 6-foot-2, has a strong shot, and solid vision.

This season he finished with 20 points in 26 games in the AHL, while chipping in nine points in 34 games with the Ducks. He also finished second in defensemen scoring on the Ducks during the postseason, finishing with eight points in 14 games - just one point back of Cam Fowler.

With some regular playing time, Theodore could emerge as a solid first- or second-pairing D-man.

Tomas Nosek

Tomas Nosek was a bit of a surprising pick by the Golden Knights given that many believed the club would hop on the chance to pluck goaltender Petr Mrazek.

However, one thing is quite certain: George McPhee is a smart man and clearly saw something very special in Nosek.

Since coming over from the Czech Republic three years ago, the 24-year-old has spent the majority of his time fermenting in the American Hockey League, but he looks to be hitting another level.

He posted 15 goals and 41 points in 51 games during the regular season and led the Grand Rapids Griffins in playoff scoring - finishing third overall - with 10 goals and 22 points in 19 games.

He has a strong shot and is hard on the puck and was believed to be among the best prospects in Detroit's system. If it all works out, Nosek could end up being more valuable than Mrazek.

Marc-Andre Fleury

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

The success of the Golden Knights next season and going forward could solely rest in the hands of Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Golden Knights made Fleury the face of the franchise on Wednesday night, bringing him out on stage with their second-last selection. The deal to nab Fleury was reportedly made back in March, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, meaning he has long been in Vegas' plans.

It's also clear to see that by electing not to grab fellow netminders Mrazek, Philipp Grubauer, or Antti Raanta, the Golden Knights don't expect too much of a goaltending carousel.

Fleury is back to being the No. 1 again after having his net stolen from Matt Murray, and unless his play drastically tails off, he should remain in that position for the foreseeable future.

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Full marks to Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee.

The leader of the NHL's newest outfit had 72 hours to pore over lists of available players and piece together his club's initial roster. In the end, several key hits were among his final tally, like Jonathan Marchessault, Marc Methot, and Marc-Andre Fleury.

But at the mercy of his fellow managers, who offered up various payments for McPhee to steer clear of certain players, the Golden Knights' chose instead to collect additional draft choices. In doing so, it could prove to be a costly move for the new club, which ultimately left some valuable players on the table.

That list includes Anaheim Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen, as well as a pair of top-notch blue-liners the Minnesota Wild made available, particularly Matt Dumba.

Alternatively, McPhee took on the expensive Clayton Stoner from the Ducks, receiving up-and-coming defenseman Shea Theodore for his trouble. For the Wild, they offered up 2014 first-rounder Alex Tuch, plus restricted free-agent center Erik Haula, to keep the Golden Knights' attention away from Dumba, Marco Scandella, and veteran pivot Eric Staal.

Theodore and Tuch, the top payments of the side deals, may turn out to be better than what the Golden Knights could have selected. But in the here and now, Vatanen and Dumba hold supreme for Vegas. Even more so if they were chosen to be traded.

It stands to reason that even if the Golden Knights did not see the 26-year-old Vatanen or the 22-year-old Dumba as part of their future, they may have received greater payment by dealing either player in a subsequent trade.

Look at the recent history. The Tampa Bay Lightning moved a star winger in Jonathan Drouin to get their hands on defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, a top pick in last year's draft who boasts plenty of potential but who has all of four games of NHL experience.

Or even last year, in the much-discussed deal where the Edmonton Oilers flipped former first overall pick Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils to acquire top-four defender Adam Larsson.

As the Oilers and Lightning learned, top defensemen come at a premium. But the odds are the Golden Knights missed their chance to cash in. If only Vatanen and Dumba had been drafted.

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Among two of the game's biggest criticisms will be on the table when all 31 general managers convene on Thursday afternoon in Chicago.

The league's GMs will meet to discuss a number of topics and among them are a potential new standard for slashing and possibly making changes to the coach's challenges of offside calls, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.

Slashing has become a hot-button topic of late due to the perceived increase in the amount of slashes, especially to players' extremities such as hands. Meanwhile, offside reviews have come under great scrutiny for many reasons, including the fact that calls are coming down to mere fractions of millimeters in some cases.

The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. ET.

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