Eyes On Isles

Islanders Trade Rights to Johnny Boychuk to Buffalo

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: Johnny Boychuk #55 of the New York Islanders skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on January 08, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: Johnny Boychuk #55 of the New York Islanders skates against the Carolina Hurricanes at NYCB Live at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on January 08, 2019 in Uniondale, New York. The Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Well, Lou Lamoriello was out doing Lou Lamoriello things once again. Today, the New York Islanders traded Johnny Boychuk to the Buffalo Sabres for future considerations. Now, I know what some might be thinking, isn’t he retired?

Not exactly. He isn’t able to play anymore so he was just sitting on the LTIR of the New York Islanders. Once the Buffalo Sabres finally traded away Jack Eichel, they then needed to reach the cap floor. Enter Johnny Boychuk.

Boychuk can now sit out for them for the remainder of the season while allowing Buffalo to remain cap compliant. In return, the Islanders receive “future considerations” which can be anything (or nothing) and that’s fine.

This isn’t the first time Lou Lamoriello has shed cap space this year. In fact, he’s done it numerous times. They traded Nick Leddy for a 2021 2nd round pick and Richard Panik and then followed it up the next day by trading Andrew Ladd, a 2021 2nd, 2022 2nd, and 2023 3rd to Arizona for no return.

Essentially, the Islanders freed themselves of $16.5 million by giving up just a second-round pick. General Managers normally have to gut entire rosters and draft classes to free up that kind of money.

That $6 million goes away so the Islanders at $85.33 million now becomes $79.33 million putting them under the $81.5 million cap ceiling. It was a win-win for both teams. Is it too early to make Lou Lamoriello GM of the year three times in a row?

Lamoriello stated that he is open to Johnny Boychuk returning in any capacity after the season, and also gave some insight into why they made the move (accrue cap space).

In 725 career games, between the Avalanche, Bruins, and Islanders, Boychuk put up 206 points (54 goals, 152 assists) and was a Stanley Cup champion for Boston in the 2011 season.

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