Islanders acquire Palat, picks from Devils for Tsyplakov
The New York Islanders have acquired forward Ondrej Palat and two future draft picks from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Maxim Tsyplakov, the clubs announced Tuesday evening.
In addition to Palat, the Islanders received the Devils’ own 2026 third-round pick and 2027 sixth-round pick. Both players in the deal are under contract through 2027, with Palat earning $6 million per year and Tsyplakov making $2.25 million; neither team retained salary in the trade.
The deal was announced shortly after the Devils held Palat out of the lineup for their game against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday. It is the second trade involving the Islanders and one of their regional rivals in as many days, following their deal to acquire Carson Soucy from the New York Rangers on Monday.
#NEWS: We've acquired forward Maxim Tsyplakov from the New York Islanders for forward Ondrej Palat, a 2026 third-round draft pick, and a 2027 sixth-round draft pick. 📰: bit.ly/4rhgLXq
Palat, 34, has just 10 points (four goals, six assists) through 51 games with the Devils this season. A highly sought-after free agent from the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, Palat has never lived up to his contract with the Devils and is widely considered to be overpaid — hence why the Islanders received two draft picks to take him.
Tsyplakov, 27, originally signed with the Islanders in 2024 as a free agent from KHL club Moscow Spartak. The 6’3″ right wing recorded 10 goals and 35 points in 77 games with the Islanders in 2024-25 but has just one goal and two points in 27 games this season.
A two-time Stanley Cup champion and four-time finalist with the Lightning, Palat has collected 515 points in 876 games over 14 NHL seasons; he’s added 103 points in 155 playoff contests. The 6′ left wing will now reunite with former Bolts executive and current Islanders GM Mathieu Darche on Long Island, where his new team is in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Tysplakov, meanwhile, should receive more playing time on a Devils team that currently sits six points outside a playoff spot. He averaged just 9:39 of ice time under Islanders head coach Patrick Roy this season, a far cry from the near-15 minutes per night he logged last year.