Islanders Acquire Ondrej Palat
6:45 PM: As expected, Ondřej Palát has been traded, as the New York Islanders acquire the veteran along with draft picks. Maxim Tsyplakov is headed to New Jersey, while the Islanders also bring in a third-round pick in 2026, as well as a sixth-round pick in 2027, according to TSN’s Pierre Lebrun.
There is no salary retention involved, as the Islanders inherit Palát’s full $6MM cap hit, reported by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
After long-standing efforts from New Jersey to move on, Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche brings in a familiar face in Palát, having spent several years together in Tampa Bay. The veteran shows a willingness to join the nearby club, being dealt despite a no-movement clause, where he will now try to help New York secure a spot in the postseason this spring.
Meanwhile, the Devils can finally turn the page, coming away with just under $4MM off the books, in what could prove to be a first step in more moves to come. Along with surrendering the draft picks, the team brings in Tsyplakov’s $2.25MM cap hit, which runs through next season. The 27-year-old has just two points in 27 games this season, originally coming over in 2024 after a 31-goal campaign in the KHL.
Tsyplakov, 6’3″, was effective in his first North American season, notching 35 points in 77 games in 2024-25, serving as an energy winger with some skill. The Russian finished the season ranked second on the team in penalty minutes, with 39, but has shown considerable improvement this year in avoiding infractions. However, due to the additions of Maxim Shabanov and Jonathan Drouin, New York had limited opportunites for Tsyplakov to showcase his offensive ability, needing him to be a more physical power forward, a role which proved not to be a fit.
Along with his 155 games of playoff experience, leading the team by a considerable margin, the Islanders are bringing in a winger more capable of bottom six contributions. As is well known to this point, Palát is not the player he once was, with 10 points in 51 games, but the 34-year-old has remained healthy this season and remains a solid utility winger.
Criticizing poorly-aging free agent deals of the past with the benefit of hindsight is a tired point, however, from the beginning, questions were raised on how Palát would age into his five-year deal. At the time, the Stanley Cup winner was expected to help along Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, but the wear-and-tear of three straight deep postseason runs with the Bolts played a factor into his Devils tenure. Dealing with injuries, the former seventh-round pick has seen his role gradually diminish, and concludes his time in Newark with a season-best of just 31 points. Palát was unable to adequately compliment the likes of Hughes and Hischier, which was a must at such a price point.
Tsyplakov figures to be a useful bottom-sixer for the Devils moving forward, now seeking to turn the page under Head Coach Sheldon Keefe and return to his form from last year.
Darche and the Islanders have been busy over the past few days supplementing their group. Just yesterday, he swung another deal with his other nearby rival, acquiring defenseman Carson Soucy from the Rangers for a 2026 third-round pick. Now with today’s move, the club replinishes their lost selection, also bringing in a motivated veteran.
Palát joins the Islanders at an exciting time, as they’re slated to have a home-and-home with the Rangers tomorrow and Thursday. On the other hand, Tsyplakov could debut for New Jersey as soon as Thursday, as his new club hosts the Predators.
5:30 PM: It appears the Devils are close to finding a trade partner for winger Ondřej Palát. The team is holding him out of tonight’s game against the Jets for “roster-related reasons,” per the team’s Amanda Stein.
The Devils’ efforts to shed Palát and his $6MM cap hit have dated back to last summer. Those only intensified into the season as New Jersey was close to the cap and attempting to make a splash on the trade market – widely assumed to be Quinn Hughes – but ended up not being able to pull the deal off. Not only does finding a willing taker for the declining veteran’s contract prove difficult, but he can block most moves with his 10-team no-trade list and no-movement clause.
Evidently, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has now found a team that’s not on Palát’s no-trade list and is willing to take on all or most of his deal, which expires after next season. The 34-year-old inked a five-year, $30MM deal with N.J. in free agency back in 2022 on the heels of three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances with the Lightning. He was also coming off three straight 40-point seasons, but never managed to hit that mark in a Devils sweater.
From the start, his production simply wasn’t there. Injuries took away nearly half of his first season in Newark, and last year, he only averaged 13:45 of ice time per game with 15 goals and 28 points in 77 contests. He averaged 55 points per 82 games during his 10 years in Tampa, but that number is down to 30 in Jersey. This year, he’s mustered 10 points in 51 games for a career-worst pace.
With that in point, Palát’s contract comes across as squarely a negative-value one that the Devils will be offloading an asset to move, even if they’re retaining a little bit of cash. While his possession impacts were something of a saving grace over the first two years of the deal, those, too, have now declined. New Jersey has controlled under 50% of shot attempts with Palát on the ice at 5-on-5 dating back to last year.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to officially break the deal.
Image Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Pro Hockey Rumors’ Bradley Keith also contributed to this article.
Devils Have Discussed Dougie Hamilton, Ondrej Palat In Trade Talks
Yesterday morning, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported that the New Jersey Devils have included defenseman Dougie Hamilton and forward Ondřej Palát in trade talks. That falls in line with what Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had said regarding the Devils’ pursuit of defenseman Quinn Hughes before he was ultimately traded to the Minnesota Wild on Friday.
Friedman didn’t offer any specifics like Weekes, though he had said that he believed New Jersey had a few cap-clearing trades vetoed. That was always going to be the difficulty in moving off of Hamilton or Palát, as both veterans have no-movement clauses and moderate trade protection throughout the rest of their respective contracts.
The Devils have put themselves into this situation. The Wild only added approximately $1MM in salary by acquiring Hughes, and without knowing New Jersey’s final offer, that would have been nearly impossible for them to absorb.
Assuming the Devils were willing to trade a player or two off their active roster, and somehow only lost $1MM in salary cap space by acquiring Hughes, they would have had around $200K remaining in flexibility. That would have made it impossible for New Jersey to recall extra depth to fill out their roster, and they would have had to continue the season with an incomplete 23-man roster.
Still, their pursuit of Hughes suggests that General Manager Tom Fitzgerald is eager to make a big move to help the Devils’ roster, even as they continue to stall out in the standings. Again devastated by injuries, New Jersey has fallen out of the playoff picture, going 3-7-0 in their last 10 contests.
It would make sense that if the Devils are adamant on acquiring a top-level talent, then they will continue trade negotiations regarding Hamilton and Palát. Each player has provided New Jersey with 10 teams they would accept a trade to.
Unfortunately, considering that it’ll be a cap-clearing trade with little returning to New Jersey, their options are limited. Although this list will grow leading up to the deadline, there are only 12 teams that could acquire Palát outright, and only nine for Hamilton.
Especially for the latter, the Devils will likely need to include a sweetener to the acquiring team. The 34-year-old winger has scored two goals and seven points in 33 games for the Devils this season, making it 28 goals and 66 points in his last 181 games. Factoring in his $6MM cap hit through next season, New Jersey may never be able to move off of his contract.
Hamilton, by comparison, has more value, but marginally. Hit by the same injury bug that much of the roster has sustained, Hamilton has only played in 57.3% of New Jersey’s games over the last three years. Still, by scoring 18 goals and 64 points over that stretch, he’s nearly matched Palát in offensive production over that stretch in approximately 70 fewer games.
Given the difficult hurdles to clear, the Devils may end the season with both players on their active roster. Depending on who becomes available closer to the deadline, New Jersey’s front office may feel that simply getting everyone back healthy will be enough pseudo additions to return to competitiveness. There’s definitely an argument for this approach, as the Devils started the year 16-8-1 through their first 25 games with a fairly healthy team.
Photo courtesy of John Jones-Imagn Images.
Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Chatfield, Quapp, Devils
While some head coaching searches may soon be wrapping up, don’t expect that to be the case for the Penguins. Speaking with The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he plans to do a second interview in-person with the final few candidates for the role in the final week of May when he returns from Sweden where he’s in charge of Canada’s entry at the Worlds. From there, the hope is to have the new hire in place by June 1st before Dubas leaves for the Draft Combine a few days later. The new coach will be taking over for Mike Sullivan, who was one of the longest-tenured bench bosses in the league before parting ways with him earlier this month.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield did not take part in practice today in advance of Tuesday’s Eastern Conference Final opener, relays Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted over the weekend that he was hopeful that the 29-year-old would be ready for the opener after missing the last game against Washington with an undisclosed injury but that may be in some question now. Today, the bench boss noted that Chatfield will likely need to be a full participant in tomorrow’s game-day skate to have a shot at suiting up.
- Still with the Hurricanes, goaltending prospect Nikita Quapp has signed a one-year deal with Eispiraten Crimmitschau in Germany’s second division, per a team release. Carolina drafted the 22-year-old back in the sixth round in 2021 but he has struggled. After spending most of 2023-24 in the second division, Quapp moved up to the DEL this year but only got into nine games with Dusseldorfer where he posted a 4.08 GAA and a .870 SV%. Carolina holds Quapp’s rights through June 1st and considering his struggles and this contract, it’s fair to say they will be letting those rights go in a couple of weeks.
- James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now highlights a trio of Devils players whose trade protection decreases at the beginning of July. Center Erik Haula goes from a full no-trade clause to a six-team no-trade clause while winger Ondrej Palat and defenseman Dougie Hamilton go from a full no-trade to a 10-team no-trade (while retaining no-move rights for waiver purposes). GM Tom Fitzgerald vowed to be active this summer following an early exit in the playoffs so having a few more potential trade options could certainly help in that regard.
Metro Notes: Palát, Berard, Hollowell
In a recent article from Todd Cordell of Infernal Access, he opines that the New Jersey Devils should look to move on from veteran winger Ondřej Palát this offseason. Whether through a buyout or trade, Cordell believes the salary cap savings could be better used to improve other areas.
Cordell’s argument is credible. Palát is making $6MM in 2025-26 and 2026-27 with a full no-movement clause and a modified 10-team no-trade clause. He hasn’t scored more than 31 points in a season since joining the Devils, and his ice time has dropped significantly over the last three years.
Assuming New Jersey is unable to find a trade partner, given the heavy trade protection, it’s likely the Devils buy out the remaining two years of Palát’s contract if they no longer want him on the team. Using PuckPedia‘s buyout calculator, New Jersey would be on the hook for $3.533MM in 2025-26, $2.533MM in 2026-27, and $1.483MM in 2027-28 and 2028-29. Aside from Luke Hughes, the Devils don’t have many high-end players to retain this offseason. Should they need the extra cap savings to pursue a notable free agent, buying out Palát’s contract may be the best route.
More notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, New York Rangers forward Brett Berard has been removed from Team USA in the IIHF World Championships due to “physical limitations”. Neither Walker nor team representatives shared specifics regarding Berard’s injury, but he’s expected to be ready for the Rangers’ training camp in September.
- In his recurring segment analyzing players within the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, Seth Rorabaugh of the Tribune-Review recently looked at defenseman Mac Hollowell of the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Hollowell led all WBS defensemen in scoring this year with one goal and 31 points, but injuries limited him to only 56 games. Despite his offensive maturity in the AHL, there’s Rorabaugh doesn’t believe the Penguins will retain him, given they never recalled him this season.
Devils Notes: Markström, Pesce, Lazar, Palát
Despite a five-game loss to the Hurricanes in the first round, Jacob Markström backstopped his Devils with one of the best goaltending performances of the postseason. He posted a .911 SV% and 2.78 GAA behind an injury-plagued New Jersey defense, including a spectacular 49-save performance in Game 5’s double-overtime loss. Through five games, Markström’s 5.7 goals saved above expected lead the playoffs, per MoneyPuck.
On the heels of that strong showing in his first year in New Jersey, Markström enters next season as a pending unrestricted free agent and becomes eligible to sign an extension on July 1. That’s something he has a strong interest in doing. “If [general manager Tom Fitzgerald] is calling, I’m answering,” the netminder told reporters today during end-of-season media availability (per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now).
Markström is entering the final season of the six-year, $36MM contract he signed with the Flames in free agency in 2020. The Devils are only on the hook for $4.125MM of his $6MM cap hit, though, as Calgary retained 31.25% of his deal when they traded him to New Jersey last offseason. He had a somewhat pedestrian regular season, logging a .900 SV%, 2.50 GAA, and 3.4 GSAx in 49 starts, but the one-time All-Star was still a marked improvement over the goaltending that arguably tanked the Devils’ 2023-24 campaign.
He’ll be 36 next summer, so a long-term deal certainly isn’t in the cards. Injuries remain somewhat of a concern, especially given his age – he’s now missed at least 10 games in back-to-back years. His age also means the Devils can give him performance bonuses on a one-year extension to keep his initial cap hit down. If he wants a multi-year commitment, though, he’s ineligible for performance bonuses.
Here’s more on the Devils:
- New Jersey lost defensemen Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes in Game 1 for the rest of the series, and they weren’t the only rearguards hurt in that contest. Brett Pesce told reporters today he sustained a shoulder injury in the opening game of the postseason but played through it, per the club’s Amanda Stein. It’s unclear whether he’ll require offseason surgery. Pesce has a history of shoulder issues, missing the tail end of the 2017-18 season before eventually undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in February 2020. Pesce struggled to the tune of 17 points and a minus-five rating in 72 games for the Devils this year after signing a six-year, $33MM deal in free agency last summer.
- Center Curtis Lazar‘s knee injury never fully healed after making an earlier-than-expected return to the lineup in December, he told Nichols. He underwent surgery on Oct. 27 but was back in the lineup less than two months later, although he did miss a few games later in the season. The pending unrestricted free agent expressed a desire to be back in Newark next year. While he recorded just five points in 48 contests in 2024-25, he’s one year removed from a career-high 25 points and a +10 rating in 71 games. A healthy Lazar can be an effective bottom-six talent, especially if he returns on a deal similar to his current $1MM cap hit.
- Winger Ondřej Palát will not be representing his native Czechia at this year’s World Championship, per Stein. The 34-year-old managed only 28 points in 75 games this year, a career-low in a full season, and had two assists in five postseason contests. He was an alternate captain for Czechia at the Worlds last year, scoring 3-3–6 in 10 games en route to a gold medal. Being named to Czechia’s roster for the Winter Olympics next year would give him a shot at joining Jaromír Jágr and Jiří Šlégr as Czech members of the Triple Gold Club.
Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Shaw, Fabbro
New Jersey Devils’ forward Ondrej Palat was back at practice today after suffering an undisclosed injury in the final week of the regular season that required him to miss Wednesday night’s game against the Red Wings, per team reporter Amanda Stein. Palat left a game against Boston after blocking a shot, but his x-rays came back negative, and he appears ready to go for the playoffs.
On the year, Palat scored 15 goals and 28 points while averaging 13:45 of ice time per night. The veteran also brings a wealth of playoff experience to the table, having played in 150 career playoff contests. The two-time Stanley Cup champ has shown an ability to take his game to another level in the playoffs, scoring 101 points in those contests, including seven points in 12 games for the Devils last season.
While Palat looks good to go, head coach Sheldon Keefe said today that “it would be a surprise” if defender Jonas Siegenthaler is ready for their first-round matchup against Carolina. Siegenthaler, 27, posted nine points in 55 games on the season, while adding 92 blocked shots and 75 hits. Siegenthaler has been out of the lineup for a little more than a month due to a lower-body injury and was moved to LTIR in recent days before Jack Hughes’ season-ending shoulder surgery. His defensive-minded play would support the Devils if he were able to return.
Elsewhere in the Metro:
- Brad Shaw, who served as the Flyers interim head coach after the team fired John Tortorella, said today he would be happy to remain with Philly’s coaching staff even if the club does select an outside hire for the lead role, per Jordan Hall of NBCS Philly. Shaw noted that he would be interested in the head coaching position, and he’ll meet with GM Daniel Briere next week to see where things stand. This is the second interim head coaching position for Shaw, who experienced a similar situation with the New York Islanders during the 2005-06 season when head coach Steve Stirling was fired. Shaw guided the Isles to an 18-18-4 record and was not retained. He has since bounced around the league in various assistant coaching roles.
- Columbus Blue Jackets’ defender Dante Fabbro said he was “shocked” when the Predators placed him on waivers, but that being claimed by Columbus was a blessing in disguise, per team reporter Jeff Svoboda. Fabbro, now a free agent, added that he would love to continue his career with the Blue Jackets. The 26-year-old put up career high numbers this season with Columbus, scoring nine goals, 17 assists, and 26 points in 62 games for the club. He added a plus-23 rating, 136 blocked shots, and 66 hits. Based on his success with the team, it would be surprising if the Blue Jackets didn’t feel similar about a reunion.
Metropolitan Notes: Palat, Greaves, Aho
Devils winger Ondrej Palat didn’t take part in the morning skate today, making it unlikely that he’ll suit up tonight against Ottawa. He was previously listed as questionable after missing Thursday’s game with an undisclosed injury. However, as team reporter Amanda Stein relays (Twitter link), the 33-year-old took to the ice after the morning skate which suggests he’s probably not too far off from being able to return. It hasn’t been a great year for Palat as he has just 13 goals and 12 assists through 67 games while his playing time has dipped under 14 minutes a night for the first time since his first taste of NHL action back in 2012-13. But with New Jersey dealing with a long list of injuries, they’ll certainly be hoping that Palat’s absence is a short one.
More from the Metropolitan:
- After being recalled yesterday to serve as the backup goalie in Daniil Tarasov’s absence, the Blue Jackets announced that goaltender Jet Greaves has been returned to AHL Cleveland. The 23-year-old has been up and down several times this season and has gotten into six games with Columbus where he has a 2.83 GAA with a .905 SV%. Greaves has spent most of the year with the Monsters, putting up a 2.84 GAA and a .915 SV% in 34 appearances and will go from one team in a push for a Wild Card spot to another in the battle for the final spots in the AHL’s North Division playoffs.
- The Penguins announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned defenseman Sebastian Aho to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 29-year-old has been up and down in recent days on emergency recall but it appears he’ll now go back to an extended stay in the minors. Aho is in his first season in Pittsburgh’s organization but injuries have limited him to just 17 outings in the AHL where he has seven assists.
Snapshots: Kings, Mukhamadullin, Karlsson, Palat
The Los Angeles Kings will start the season with some cap juggling, per John Hoven with LA’s Mayors Manor. Hoven shares that the team will begin the year with depth forward Andre Lee on the roster, in an effort to reach cap compliance while they sort out injuries to Drew Doughty and Arthur Kaliyev. Both players could be candidates for long-term injured reserve, though that’d be a last resort as the team considers the juxtaposition of cap versus salary. Making matters even more complicated in Los Angeles’ preference to carry eight defenders, including summer signee Caleb Jones, who’s making his return to the NHL after splitting time between the major and minor leagues last year.
The Kings will have a complicated path to walk. They’re entering the year with just $546.67K in cap space, hardly enough to handle the day-to-day logistics of running a team. That’s largely thanks to their summer acquisition of goaltender Darcy Kuemper, and Quinton Byfield‘s five-year extension – two moves that collectively cost the Kings $11.5MM in space. Both players will serve pivotal roles for the lineup in the early going, especially as the team prepares for an extended period without top-defender Doughty.
Other notes from around the league:
- Top San Jose Sharks prospect Shakir Mukhamadullin has finally made his way into the team’s camp practices, shares Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, after a lower-body injury held him out of all of the team’s rookie camp and training camp to this point. Mukhamadullin was expected to be one of the top young Sharks pushing for the roster this fall, though new head coach Ryan Warsofsky acknowledged that the injury puts him a step behind. Mukhamadullin made his NHL debut last season, recording one assist in three games to go with his 34 points in 55 AHL games. He’ll be among the many young players fighting for NHL ice time when he has healthy legs back under him.
- Star Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is expected to be ready for the team’s season opener after missing much of the preseason with an upper-body injury, shares the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Matt Vensel. Karlsson added that the season opener has always been his target, and that his recovery briefly slowed down in the middle of camp to, “let a few things settle down.” The future Hall-of-Fame candidate is set to enter his 16th NHL season, coming off yet another season of double-digit goals and over-50 points. He’ll look to return to those heights once again, with head coach Mike Sullivan already confirming that he’ll be a fixture of the team’s power-play, per Tribune-Review Sports’ Seth Rorabaugh.
- New Jersey Devils forward Ondrej Palat missed the team’s second game of the season to attend to the birth of his second child. He is expected to rejoin the team when they return to North America. Palat appeared in nearly 14 minutes of New Jersey’s season opener in his native Czechia, recording one shot, one block, and two hits. He’s continued to find ways to be productive late into his career, netting 11 goals and 31 points in 71 games last season. Palat will continue to serve as a winger New Jersey can lean on as they look to continue their bout of early success.
Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Konecny, Palat, Greaves
Taking the ice for practice this morning, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network provided several updates to injured members of the Washington Capitals. He reports that forward T.J. Oshie skated once again, but is still considered week-to-week, while Nic Dowd and Martin Fehervary both skated in non-contact jerseys and are confirmed to miss the team’s next game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
All three players currently find themselves on the team’s injured reserve and have limited Washington’s depth up and down the lineup. However, even with all three members having been out since at least February 22nd, the Capitals have earned a 2-2-1 record in that stretch, maintaining their position near the Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
The largest concern will surround Oshie, who has only managed to suit up in 38 games for Washington this season. Dealing with injuries in the past, Oshie still has another year left on his contract after this season for $5.75MM. In those 38 games, his production continues to tail off towards the end of his career, as he has only managed 10 goals and 18 points up to this point.
Other Metro notes:
- Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday after Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now reports Konecny was a full participant in practice this morning. Konecny, who has missed the last six games for the Flyers, will be as important a return as any to Philadelphia’s lineup, as he still leads the team in scoring even after having missed time. Still thriving under head coach John Tortorella, Konecny has scored 27 goals and 54 points for the Flyers this season, leading the team in the latter category by a margin of nine points.
- Missing last night’s game with a lower-body injury, team reporter Amanda Stein is reporting that New Jersey Devils forward Ondrej Palat was also absent from the team’s practice this morning. Currently on a three-game losing streak, the loss of Palat will do nothing to help the Devils’ hopes of qualifying for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. In 51 games for New Jersey this season, Palat has scored nine goals and 24 points, which is a similar pace to his production last year.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have sent down goaltender Jet Greaves to their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, per a team announcement. Greaves was able to play in one game for the Blue Jackets after being recalled on March 4th, stopping 26 of 31 shots in the team’s loss against the Penguins last night.
Metropolitan Notes: Capitals, Fehérváry, Toffoli, Palát, Islanders
The Capitals had multiple injury updates from Tuesday morning’s practice, per Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network. Namely, winger T.J. Oshie skated for the first time since sustaining a non-contact upper-body injury on Feb. 22 against the Lightning. The 37-year-old has missed five games and remains week to week, but signs are pointing toward the 2018 Stanley Cup champ coming off injured reserve before the end of the regular season.
Depth center Nic Dowd, who’s likely to be in play at Friday’s trade deadline if the Caps drop a key matchup against the Penguins in their pursuit of a wild-card spot on Thursday, also took a step forward in his recovery from an upper-body injury. While still wearing a no-contact jersey, El-Bashir says he “looked full-go” and could return against Pittsburgh. The 33-year-old is regarded as one of the better fourth-line centers in the league, consistently boasting above-average possession impacts with the ability to add some tertiary scoring. He’s got eight goals and 16 points in 45 games on the season, being elevated in the lineup at times and averaging a career-high 15:27 per game.
Defenseman Martin Fehérváry also skated in a no-contact jersey but didn’t look close to returning, El-Bashir said. The 24-year-old hasn’t played since sustaining a lower-body injury on Feb. 17 against the Canadiens and has now missed Washington’s last seven games. The 2018 second-round pick has again logged top-four usage this year, recording 12 points in 47 games with a -6 rating while averaging 18:45 per game. His absence has been a silver lining for the younger Rasmus Sandin, who’s regained some confidence in a top-pairing role alongside John Carlson and is now up to 20 points in 52 games while logging 21:19 per game.
Other updates from Metropolitan Division teams mired in the wild-card race:
- The Devils made it known earlier this week they’d prefer to keep winger Tyler Toffoli past the trade deadline and continue working on an extension. Today, GM Tom Fitzgerald said the two sides are close on salary but still have a gap to bridge regarding contract length (via Amanda Stein of the Devils’ official site). It’s not clear which side prefers a longer-term deal than the other, however. Toffoli leads the Devils in goals with 26 in 60 games and is wrapping up a four-year, $17MM deal signed with Montreal in 2020.
- New Jersey will also be without winger Ondřej Palát due to a lower-body injury as they aim to get back in the playoff race tonight against the conference-leading Panthers, interim head coach Travis Green said (via Stein). Palát has had a middling second year with the Devils, recording nine goals and 24 points in 51 games, but the two-time Cup champ with the Lightning has always been regarded for his playoff production rather than regular season point totals. Veteran center Chris Tierney, who’s averaged just 9:06 per game this year, will slide into a third-line role alongside Curtis Lazar and Dawson Mercer in Green’s debut leading the New Jersey bench.
- Sticking in the Tri-State Area, Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello issued a handful of injury updates during his media availability Tuesday morning (via Arthur Staple of The Athletic). Depth blue-liner Robert Bortuzzo, who remains on LTIR with a lower-body injury, should return within a week. He put up a -3 rating in 11 games for the Isles after a mid-season trade from St. Louis before exiting the lineup in early January, now missing over two months with the ailment. He’ll give them a more experienced option to slot into the lineup as they stay in the race for a playoff spot and look to add some help before Friday’s deadline. Lamoriello added that veteran enforcer Matt Martin, who left Saturday’s win over the Bruins early, is cleared to play tonight against the Blues. The 34-year-old has three points and 31 PIMs in 38 games in what could be his final season with the team.