The New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders completed an intra-division trade on Tuesday that could greatly help the Devils as they approach the NHL trade deadline and try to squeak into the playoffs.
The Islanders took on veteran forward Ondrej Palat from the Devils for forward Maxim Tsyplakov. The Isles also received a third-round pick in 2026 and a sixth-round pick in 2027 to take on Palat’s unwieldy contract.
Palat is currently in the fourth year of a 5-year, $30 million deal that runs through 2026-27. The salary dump frees the cash-strapped Devils of Palat’s $6 million cap hit, giving them nearly $7 million of room to maneuver as the trade deadline approaches in March.
The 34-year-old Czech forward is in the throes of his worst season in the NHL, posting just 10 points (4g, 6a) in 51 games. He’s receiving 12:45 of ice time per game, the lowest he’s received in the NHL since his rookie season in 2012-13.
The deal is especially strange because the Islanders are in a playoff spot, sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division. Coming into tonight’s games, the Islanders were five points ahead of the Devils.
Tsyplakov is a 27-year-old Russian winger who scored 35 points (10g, 25a) in 77 games for the Islanders last season. This year, however, Tsplakov has struggled and played sparingly, posting just 2 points in 35 games while averaging just 9:39 of ice time per night.
My reaction when I first learned of the deal?
