The likely reasons stopping the NY Islanders from buying out Ondrej Palat

The New York Islanders' second buyout window is open until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, but the expectation is that it will go unused, will close, and Ondrej Palat will remain on the roster.

Among the Islanders' highest-paid players, Palat stands out as the most logical buyout candidate. The veteran winger has one year remaining on his contract with a $6 million cap hit, and buying him out would create approximately $4.35 million in cap space for next season while spreading $1.65 million in dead cap over each of the next two years.

For a team that could still use another scoring forward, that flexibility would be valuable. There are still some free agents on the board who can provide more than Palat is likely to, and it opens up an opportunity for another skater to earn a spot. Yet, it's expected that the Islanders will do nothing.

Why? Perhaps the biggest reason is also the simplest.

Mathieu Darche is the one who brought Palat to Long Island.

Nearing last season's trade deadline, Darche acquired Palat along with third-and sixth-round picks from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Maxim Tsyplakov. The move reunited Darche with a player he knew well from their time together in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, where Palat played a key role on back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams while Darche worked in the front office.

The thinking was understandable. Palat's championship pedigree, leadership and playoff experience appeared to fit what Darche wanted to build. Unfortunately, the results couldn't be more different.

After scoring in his Islanders debut, Palat went the next 28 games without another goal, finishing his first stint with the club with just one goal in 29 games. For the season, he scored only five goals in 80 games. For a player carrying a $6 million cap hit, that's production the Islanders simply can't afford.

Here's how the buyout makes sense. It creates meaningful cap space, removes a contract that no longer matches the player's production and gives the Islanders additional flexibility before the season begins. If the Islanders are true to their word and want to have space for younger talent, well, Palat seems to be blocking one of those opportunities.

But general managers are also judged by their decisions. Buying out Palat less than a year after acquiring him would effectively be an admission that one of Darche's first major trades didn't work.

Sometimes, that can be the hardest move of all, and for that reason, Palat is expected to remain on the roster, while the Isles road out another season to avoid having some dead money from a buyout on their books next season.

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