In the first significant trade of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, the New York Islanders have acquired defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for a 2013 second-round pick.
Visnovsky, 35, is heading into the final year of a front-loaded deal with a $5.6 million cap hit (his salary for 2012-13 is just $3 million). The Slovak rearguard is coming off a down and injury-plagued year -- scoring just 27 points in 68 games -- a far cry from his outstanding 2010-11 season, where he posted a career-high 68 points.
The trade creates an interesting scenario on Long Island -- the idea of a blueline featuring both Visnovsky and Mark Streit could result in some gaudy offensive numbers and give the Isles a formidable power play with John Tavares up front.
For Anaheim, the move clears up some cap space and will likely result in a larger role for young defensemen Cam Fowler and Luca Sbisa.