The Capitals saved goaltender Jaroslav Halak from Buffalo, but sent him somewhere else in New York state today. Halak, who was traded to the Sabres as part of the deal that sent Ryan Miller to St. Louis, was traded again at the trade deadline to the Washington Capitals . The Capitals, who did not make the postseason this year despite a strong showing from their new goaltender, have acquired a fourth-round pick from the Isles that once belonged to the Chicago Blackhawks.To get Halak, the Caps gave up Michal Neuvirth and Rostislav Klesla.
The Islanders are getting a goaltender who had five shutouts last year, a 2.25 GAA, and a .921 save percentage. Granted, much of that was accomplished behind the Blues’ tight defense, but he is still an upgrade over an aging (aged?) Evgeny Nabokov and a young Anders Nilsson.
The trick here for the Islanders is getting Halak to stay. The goaltender is a UFA in two months, so if the Islanders don’t sign him, they’re out a mid-round draft pick. One could argue that if the Islanders had a stronger (and more healthy) goaltending tandem, they could’ve been closer to making the playoffs for the second straight season in a weak Eastern Conference than they were. They have an exciting young core and a bright future in Brooklyn; the Capitals seem to be a tire fire at the moment. The Isles could possibly pull off a Halak contract signing.
