In a surprising move, the New York Islanders trade 26-year-old defenseman James Wisniewski to the Montreal Canadiens for two draft picks. This season on Long Island, Wisniewski was tied or the team lead in points this season with 21. His career-year on offense will only help the Habs, as he now moves down to the second-best scorer on a much better team. The Canadiens are without defenseman Andrei Markov for the season due to a knee injury.
The draft picks Montreal dealt were a 2011 compensatory second-round pick they were due to receive for not signing former first-round pick David Fisher. The second pick currently stands at a 2012 fifth-round pick. New York will have that selection if Montreal qualifies for the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs and Wisniewski plays in 50 percent of Montreals’ playoff games. If both of those requirements aren’t met, New York will receive a fourth-round pick in 2013.
This selection benefits Montral more than New York because the Habs will receive a young, solid defenseman. Wisniewski has spent his career playing with Chicago and Anaheim. Wisniewski’s cap hit is $3,250,000 and is scheduled to become a UFA next summer. New York originally acquired him from Anaheim on July 20 for a 2011 third-round pick. Look for Wisniewski to be paired on the top line with Roman Hamerlik. If he doesn’t play on the top line, he’ll play with either Jaroslav Spacek or Alexandre Picard. They now have too many defensemen and look for either Yannick Weber or P.K. Subban to be sent down to the minors as they both have underperformed this season.
I do give credit to Islanders GM Garth Snow for essentially moving a third-round pick for a second rounder in the upcoming draft.
Good for Montreal for bringing in depth at defense and someone who can help fill the void created with Markov out for the season. But draft picks for New York? When is that team going to stop rebuilding and actually build something?
you have a good point with stop rebuilding and actually build something. Hockey isn’t like football or basketball where your top draft picks can make a immediate impact the next season.
I think it is a great move for New York. If he becomes a UFA this off season then they get something for nothing. You know management probably figured out that he wasn’t interested in signing an extension and it wouldn’t likely come back. I do think they could have held on to him a little longer and sold higher at the deadline at least bid his services out. I would have liked a prospect to come with a draft pick. Even if the prospect was a project player, at least they know what they are getting. Their minor league farm teams are probably empty from the team constantly having to call up players before they may be NHL ready.