It’s been rumored for days that Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic might be on the move.
And now it’s happened.
Per Sportsnet, the Isles have dealt Hamonic to Calgary. It’s the second significant move of the draft weekend from GM Garth Snow who, on Thursday, acquired Jordan Eberle from Edmonton in exchange for Ryan Strome.
Hamonic, 26, is coming off a difficult campaign in which injuries limited him to just 49 games. That said, he’s still a well-regarded blueliner that will make Calgary’s defense one of the deepest in the league.
There, he’ll play alongside Mark Giordano, Dougie Hamilton and T.J. Brodie, putting the Flames in the conversation with Nashville for the best top-four in the NHL.
Hamonic had made waves during the ’15-16 campaign, when it was learned he’d requested a trade from the Islanders due to a family issue. That request had since been rescinded.
It’s worth mentioning that Hamonic has one of the more club-friendly deals in the league. He has three years left on a seven-year, $27 million deal, one that carries a $3.857M average annual cap hit. For a top-four defenseman that can log big minutes and post solid possession metrics, that’s a pretty low price to pay.
No word yet on what the return is for New York. The Isles selected a pair of defensemen -- Robin Salo and Benjamin Mirageas -- with their second- and third-round picks on Saturday morning.
UPDATE: Looks as though the Isles are only getting picks in return.
CGY sends 2018 1st, 2018 2nd, 2019 or 2020 2nd to NYI for Hamonic and 2019 or 2020 4th round pick.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 24, 2017
If Calgary misses the playoffs on 2019, the Isles get the pick that year. That condition stems from an earlier one in which Arizona would get the Flames’ second-rounder in 2019 if the Flames make the playoffs.
Got all that?
There’s widespread speculation Snow isn’t done dealing. The bounty of draft picks acquired could be utilized in a future trade, which would be the likely direction for a club that’s in “win-now” mode.