Follow me on Twitter: @BenShelley_20 Follow HockeyBuzz Islanders on Twitter: @HB_Islanders The New York Islanders announced today that they’ve traded defenseman Johnny Boychuk to the Buffalo Sabres, in exchange for future considerations.
#Isles Transaction: The New York Islanders have traded the rights to Johnny Boychuk to the Buffalo Sabres for future considerations.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 4, 2021
Boychuk hasn’t played since the 2020 playoffs and announced his career was over ahead of the 2020-21 season, as the result of an eye injury. His contract carries a $6 million cap hit for the rest of the season.
By trading Boychuk the #Islanders get themselves out of LTIR and find themselves with just over $2,000,000 in cap space which will begin to accrue and be worth as much as $10,000,000 at the trade deadline.https://t.co/y3bhw58rw5
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) November 4, 2021
The Sabres shed a lot of salary with the Jack Eichel trade and this move helps to ensure they’re reaching the salary cap minimum. For the Islanders, it prepares them for the trade deadline.
It’s somewhat complicated but it’ll let the Islanders accrue cap space so later on (likely at the deadline), they’ll be able to make a move. If they make a deal at the deadline, they also won’t be paying the full salary of the player they acquire, rather the small portion owed for the remaining part of the season, meaning they could trade for a player whose cap hit is much higher than the $2 million they have in cap space right now.
***We've launched a HockeyBuzz Islanders Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_Islanders for updates on articles, Islanders news, etc.*** QuizMaker OTHER ARTICLES FROM NOVEMBER …‹…‹Islanders’ solid start on the road sets them up for success …‹…‹Ilya Sorokin proving capable of Islanders’ starting role