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Islanders Second Buyout Window Comes to a Close
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- Islanders Second Buyout Window Comes to a Close
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The New York Islanders ' second buyout window has come to a close, following 5pm on the East Coast.
As expected, the Islanders did not utilize the window, which had been triggered by Alex Jeffries filing for arbitration, then settling on a one-year deal.
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Per PuckPedia , the Islanders could only buy out a player with a cap hit north of $4 million, and it must be someone who was on the roster by the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.
The only player worth considering at that point would've been Ondrej Palat , who the Islanders acquired from the New Jersey Devils in late January.
Palat, who makes $6 million annually for one more season, struggled mightily with just one goal and four assists in 29 games. He recorded just four goals with six assists in 51 games for New Jersey before the deal.
If the Islanders had bought out Palat, his cap hit for the 2026-27 season would have been $2.7 million, saving the Islanders $3.3 million. However, the Islanders would have him on the books at $1.65 million for the 2027-28 season.
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With the entire franchise being geared toward flexibility for 2027 and beyond, adding on a dead cap hit never made sense.
Palat will fight for a spot on New York's fourth line, and with the amount of depth options the Islanders have, may be a useful 13th forward.
He's a strong veteran leader who is good to have in the locker room, especially after the team's captain left via free agency.
This leaves the Islanders with a ton of flexibility following the 2026-27 season, with no dead money on the books for a buyout.
