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New York Islanders Johnny Boychuk’s Contract Loses No Move Clause

By Michel Anderson

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 16: Johnny Boychuk #55 of the New York Islanders looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Kings on December 16, 2017 at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 16: Johnny Boychuk #55 of the New York Islanders looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Kings on December 16, 2017 at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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The New York Islanders finally have some flexibility with Johnny Boychuk’s contract. His restrictive no-move clause is now a modified no-trade clause.

At 35-years-old Johnny Boychuk is on the wrong side of 30 and carries one of the largest cap hits for the New York Islanders. His $6 million AAV is tied with Brock Nelson at the top of the Islanders cap depth chart.

With the 2019-2020 cap ceiling possibly at $83 million, Boychuk’s $6 million AAV accounts for seven percent of the Islanders cap. That’s a significant portion for a player who’s at an age where diminishing returns compound year-over-year.

Before 2019-20, there was little the New York Islanders could do about it (even if they wanted to). Boychuk’s deal while carrying a large $6 million AAV also held a full no-move clause. Until now.

NMC to M-NTC

In 2019-20, Johnny Boychuk’s contract no longer holds a full no-move clause.

In case you were wondering a no-move clause (NMC ) is the highest level of trade protection a player can get. Not only does it give the player the last say on any trades, but it prevents a team from sending the player through waivers or being sent to the minors.

A no-trade clause (NTC) only allows the player to veto a trade to another team.

Going into the 2019-20 season and through the 2021-22 season, Johnny Boychuk carries a modified no-trade clause. According to CapFriendly, Boychuk has to give a list of eight teams he can be traded to.

What this means is that the Islanders now have more flexibility with Johnny Boychuk that they didn’t have before.

Johnny Boychuk had a great 2018-19 season with the New York Islanders. He was the exact type of leader the young core of Islanders defensemen needed.

But as the Islanders start to retool the roster and try to make room to bring in more talented players (or eventually pay the ones they have), they might need to move some of their bigger deals for players they no longer need. Like Boychuk’s.

To be fair, if any defender is going to be traded right away it’s probably going to be Nick Leddy and not Johnny Boychuk. But with Boychuk’s contract going from a NMC to a M-NTC it gives the Islanders more flexibility in the event they want to try to move him.

And that’s all that matters; having more flexibility. An eight-team trade list is still fairly restrictive, but it’s better than a no-team trade list.

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Going forward that New York Islanders have more flexibility to play around with the roster than they ever had before. They have money to play with and they have assets to trade, both in the system and on the roster. Things are trending positively.

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