Connecticut governor invites Islanders to use Hartford arena

Well, this is a whale of an idea.

Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy is presenting an interesting option amid the New York Islanders' uncertainty surrounding their present and future home.

Malloy offered up Hartford's XL Center as an option for "interim use" in a letter sent to Islanders owners John Ledecky, Scott Malkin, and Charles Wang on Friday.

The governor then took it one step further, implying that the arena could be NHL-worthy for a longer period of time with a few adjustments.

"Of course, as we pursue the transformation of the building into today's NHL standards, we would suggest the building as a long-term solution to your needs as well," Malloy writes.

Bloomberg reported earlier this week that officials associated with the Barclays Center, the Islanders' current home, have concluded it's no longer worth housing the franchise.

If Barclays Center does opt out, the NHL club would need a new home for after the 2018-19 season.

Malloy's letter, obtained by TV station WFSB, touts Hartford as an NHL market and also attempts to sell the owners on the city's corporate community and the proximity of many affluent residents to the arena.

It also points out that the Islanders' AHL affiliate is not far from Hartford in Bridgeport, Conn.

Malloy ends his pitch by offering to meet with the Islanders' brass.

Hartford has been without an NHL team since the Whalers left for Raleigh, N.C. and became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997.

The AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack play at the XL Center, which seats just under 15,000 people.