The New York Islanders are searching for a playoff spot at this point in the season. They have a slight grip on the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, and hope to keep it that way. On Tuesday night, the Islanders added a bit of Stanley Cup experience to their roster in the form of Ondrej Palat.
The Islanders are acquiring Palat in a trade with the New Jersey Devils, as reported by The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. New York is getting Palat, a 2026 third-round pick, and a 2027 sixth-round selection. In return, the Devils are receiving forward Maxim Tsyplakov. There's no salary retained in this deal, either.
The Devils have been working on a Palat trade for some time. On Tuesday, New Jersey held the veteran forward out of their lineup for “roster management” reasons. This trade ends his three-and-a-half-season tenure in Newark.
Palat joined New Jersey before the 2022-23 campaign, but struggled mightily. The Devils have sought to create flexibility on the trade market. With this trade, they have cleared nearly $4 million in salary cap space.
Tsyplakov, 27, had a staggering fall from grace on Long Island. He debuted in the NHL last season after spending seven seasons in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. It was a fine start to life in North America for the Moscow native, as he scored 10 goals and 35 points in 77 games.
Unfortunately, Tsyplakov has not had the same success this year. He has skated in just 27 games this year, averaging less than 10 minutes a night. He has one goal and two points so far this season.
The Islanders hope the addition of Palat can give their team an advantage as the playoffs draw near. Meanwhile, the Devils have cap space and a younger forward who could rebound in a new situation. It will certainly be interesting to see how things turn out for all involved.
