New York Islanders: Top 5 Players Likely To Be Traded

Jaroslav Halak has provided the Islanders with undeniable stability and confidence during his short tenure with the team. With his immediate arrival, the Islanders went from outside the playoff bubble to a seemingly perennial playoff team.

But despite his undisputed effectiveness at elevating the Islanders play, his time with the team has come to an end.

With the arrival of Thomas Greiss, it appears that Jaroslav Halak has been forced out of the net. And to make matters worse for the goaltender, young bucks Berube and Gibson proved to be effective and cheaper options to backup Greiss, hinting to many that Halak may soon be on his way out.

The Young Russian

As if all this wasn’t enough, the oft-injured goalie now has to worry about stellar goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin playing into the Islanders future plans.

Sorokin appears to be one of the most promising prospects the Isles have had in years, insinuating further that Halak’s time with the club is drawing to a close.

Merge all this together with the fact that Halak has a relatively high cap hit of $4.5 million next season while lacking durability and consistency, and it only seems plausible to dish Halak away in favor of some depth and/or prospects and picks.

The Islanders would love to keep Halak as their backup, we all would. But the reality of the situation is that he has become a want and not a need.

General Manager Garth Snow may have missed a chance to sauce Halak away during the draft to the Calgary Flames who were desperate for goaltending for years, but Snow could always find another suitor.

Look for Jaro to be one of the first key players to depart.

Next: Mikhail Grabovski