Signing
The Islanders have signed Jan Kovar to a one-year deal worth $2M.
Kovar has spent the last five seasons in the KHL, where he collected 286 points (97G / 189A) in 285 games. Kovar is coming off of his worst season with Magnitogorsk Metallurg but had a lot of interested NHL teams before picking the Islanders. The 5-foot-11, 216 lbs. 28-year-old forward has a good shot to play in the Islanders top-6 after John Tavares left for Toronto.
The Islanders acquired Matt Martin from the Maple Leafs for Eamon McAdam.
After two years with the Maple Leafs, Martin is headed back to the Islanders, where he spent the first seven years of his career. Martin scored just eight goals and 13 assists (21 points) in 132 games during his time in Toronto. During that stretch, he ranks tied for sixth in the NHL in hits/game (3.4).
The Islanders have signed Robin Lehner to a one-year, $1.5M deal.
Lehner went 14-26-9 with a 3.01 GAA and .908 SV% in 53 starts with the Sabres last season. The 26-year-old has started 50-plus games in back-to-back seasons and is tied for 19th among qualified goalies in SV% (.915) and 37th in GAA (2.83) over that span. Lehner will take over as the Islanders’ starting netminder with Thomas Greiss as the backup.
The Islanders have signed Mike Sislo to a one-year, two-way deal.
The Islanders have signed Matt Lorito to a two-year, two-way deal.
The Islanders have signed Seth Helgeson to a two-year, two-way deal.
The Islanders have signed Chris Gibson to a two-year, two-way deal.
The Islanders have signed Tom Kuhnhackl to a one-year deal.
The Islanders signed Valtteri Filppula to a one-year, $2.75M contract.
The Islanders have signed Leo Komarov to a four-year deal worth $12.0M ($3.0M AAV).
The Islanders have re-signed Thomas Hickey to a four-year deal worth $10M ($2.5M AAV).
Hickey was the No.4 overall pick in 2007 and has enjoyed moderate success during his first six seasons with the Islanders. Hickey is coming off of a career-year, picking up 25 points (5G / 20A) in 69 games. He is a very mobile, puck-moving defenseman who will be a key part of the Isles’ top-4.
The Islanders select Noah Dobson with the No.12 overall pick.
Dobson is a two-way defenseman but has a polished offensive game, finishing tied for second among QMJHL defensemen in points (69) and third in goals (17). Playing in the Memorial Cup didn’t hurt his value either—he scored two goals with five assists in Acadie Bathursts’s four-game run.
The Islanders select Oliver Wahlstrom with the No.11 overall pick.
Wahlstrom was a YouTube sensation before his 10th birthday and has since become a star for the United States Development Team. Wahlstrom had 48 goals and 46 assists (94 points) in 62 games with the U.S. National U-18 team. Wahlstrom has outstanding hands, but still needs to polish his defensive game.
Komarov (lower-body) will not be in the Maple Leafs lineup for Game 4.
Komarov (undisclosed) will not play in Game 3 and is questionable for Game 4.
Goalie Start
Greiss will start Saturday in Detroit.
Fritz (illness) will not be in the Islanders lineup on Thursday.
Fritz is day-to-day with an illness, so he will not be available for Thursday's contest against the Rangers. Shane Prince will replace him in the lineup and play for the first time since January 12th.
Prince (lower-body) will be back in the Islanders lineup on Thursday.
Prince has not played since January 18th, but has worked his way back to play the final couple games of the regular season. Prince has recorded one goal and one assist in just 12 games so far this season.
Boychuk will miss the final two games of the regular season and may require offseason surgery.
Boychuk will come out of the lineup on Thursday and he will talk with the Islanders and doctors to determine whether or not he will need surgery this offseason. Brandon Davidson is expected to replace Boychuk in the lineup tonight.
Send Down
The Islanders have sent Chris Gibson to Bridgeport (AHL).
Gibson was 2-3-2 with a 3.65 GAA and .908 SV% in eight games with the Islanders during his call-up. Gibson returns to the Sound Tigers where he has gone 18-11-1 with a 2.31 GAA and .909 SV% in 33 games.