The New Jersey Devils have finally made the highly anticipated Ondrej Palat trade, sending the two-time Stanley Cup champion winger to the Metropolitan Division rival New York Islanders.
On Tuesday night, ahead of the Devils' game against the Winnipeg Jets, Palat, 34, was pulled from the lineup for roster management purposes. A short time later, the veteran was officially dealt to the Islanders, alongside a 2026 third-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick, for Russian forward Maxim Tsyplakov.
The Devils did not retain any of Palat's $6 million cap hit in the trade with the Islanders, meaning that, with Tsyplakov's $2.25 million cap hit coming back, the Devils freed up a total of $3.75 million in cap space that they desperately needed. Both players are signed through 2027.
As for Tsyplakov, the 27-year-old Russian has struggled in his second season in the NHL, managing just one goal, one assist, and two points in 27 games for Patrick Roy and Co. this year.
Last season, Tsyplakov enjoyed an overall successful rookie campaign, scoring 10 goals, 25 assists, and 35 points in 77 games, playing a depth role. Before making the leap to North America, the burly 6-foot-3 winger exploded for 31 goals, 16 assists, and 47 points in 65 games with Spartak Moskva in 2023-24.
Following the Palat trade, the Devils are now in the green in cap space and will no longer need to trade a player like Dougie Hamilton, for example.
Palat finishes his Devils career with 38 goals, 54 assists, and 92 points in 248 regular-season games, in addition to three goals, six assists, and nine points in 17 postseason contests.