The New York Islanders acquired two-time Stanley Cup champion Ondrej Palat and two draft picks from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Maxim Tsyplakov.
The New York Islanders made their second trade in as many days on Tuesday, acquiring Ondrej Palat from the New Jersey Devils.
The Islanders also received a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft and a sixth-round pick in 2027. The Devils received Maxim Tsyplakov in return.
After trading a third-round pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Carcy Soucy on Monday, the Islanders added another veteran and collected more draft choices as they try to make the playoffs and build for the future.
Palat, 34, has four goals and six assists for 10 points in 51 games this season. He averaged 12:45 of ice time with the Devils, which made him a healthy scratch on Tuesday ahead of the trade. Palat was also named to Team Czechia for the Winter Olympics.
Last season, Palat had 28 points in 77 games, and in 2023-24, he had 31 points in 71 games.
The left winger's best production came with the Tampa Bay Lightning for the first 10 seasons of his NHL career, exceeding 50 points in three years and 40 points in seven. He also won the Stanley Cup twice with the Bolts in 2020 and 2021.
Palat is in the fourth season of a five-year contract with a $6-million cap hit. There was no salary retention in the trade.
Maxim Tsyplakov recorded 35 points in 77 games last season but has two points in 27 games in 2025-26. (Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images)Tsyplakov, a 27-year-old right winger, has a goal and an assist for two points in 27 games this season. He's only averaged 9:39 of ice time under coach Patrick Roy in 2025-26 despite recording 35 points in 77 games last year.
Before he signed with the Islanders in May 2024, Tsyplakov played parts of seven seasons in the KHL, recording 47 points in 65 games with Spartak Moscow in 2023-24.
Following his first NHL season, he signed a two-year contract with a $2.25-million cap hit last July.
The Islanders entered Tuesday's action in third place in the Metropolitan Division, while New Jersey sits sixth in the division. Five points separated the two clubs.
New York still has about $6 million in cap space with Kyle Palmieri, Pierre Engvall and Alexander Romanov on long-term injured reserve.
Engvall, who carries a $3-million cap hit, was ruled out for the season, while Palmieri, who has a $4.75-million cap hit, could return during the playoffs, based on the original six-to-eight-month timeline he received in late November.
Romanov could return either late in the regular season or early in the playoffs, provided there aren't any setbacks in his recovery from shoulder surgery in late November.
The Devils, meanwhile, have about $6.9 million in cap space with Luke Hughes, Stefan Noesen and Zack MacEwen on LTIR.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.