Travis Hamonic to Reach Milestone Against Islanders, Revisiting Trade From LI

With the 53rd overall pick at the 2008 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders selected defenseman Travis Hamonic out of the WHL. Sixteen years later, Hamonic gets set to skate in his 800th NHL game against the Islanders as a member of the Ottawa Senators.

With the 53rd overall pick at the 2008 NHL Draft, the New York Islanders selected defenseman Travis Hamonic out of the WHL.

Sixteen years later, Hamonic gets set to skate in his 800th NHL game against the Islanders as a member of the Ottawa Senators.

The Manitoba native played 444 games for New York, with 26 goals and 126 assists, debuting on Nov. 24, 2010, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

In 17 postseason games (2013, 2016), Hamonic recorded one goal and three assists. 

Although he had a few partners in his rookie campaign, Hamonic primarily played alongside Andrew MacDonald, per MoneyPuck.com. 

That pairing served as the Islanders' No. 1 backend duo until MacDonald was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in March of 2014. Hamonic then partnered up with Calvin De Haan.

Ahead of the 2014-15 season, the Islanders acquired Stanley Cup winners Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy, who became the Islanders top defense pairing, as Hamonic dipped in the depth charts. 

Hamonic played more with Leddy in 2015-16, a duo that carried over into the following season and beyond.

In November of 2016, Hamonic requested a trade to Western Canada, citing family reasons, but rescinded the request shortly after. 

But on June 24, 2017, Islanders then-general manager Garth Snow sent Hamonic to the Calgary Flames, along with a 2019 4th-round pick for a 2018 first-round pick, a 2018 2nd-round pick, and a second-round pick in either 2018 or 2019 (became 2019). 

It was a fortune of a return at the time, and the Islanders made the most of their picks, so it seems. 

They used the 2018 first-round pick (No. 12) on Noah Dobson, the 2018 second-round pick (No. 43) on Ruslan Iskhakov, and the 2019 second-round pick (No. 57) on Samuel Bolduc.

Dobson has become the Islanders' best offensive defenseman at just 23. Bolduc is the Islanders' seventh defenseman, currently owning a starting job with Scott Mayfield out of the lineup due to injury.

Iskhakov is in his second season with Bridgeport (AHL) and is off to a fast start with six points (two goals, five assists) in five games. 

The Flames used their 2019 fourth-rounder on forward Lucas Feuk, who is currently playing for the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL (Flames affiliate). 

Hamonic played 193 games for the Flames over two-plus seasons before signing with the Vancouver Canucks shortly after the beginning of the shortened 2020-21 COVID season on a professional tryout. 

A year and two months later, after just 62 games with the Canucks, he was shipped to the Senators for a 2022 third-round pick.

Hamonic was a fan favorite on Long Island and was a massive part of the community. He would hang with children who had lost a parent before games, as he lost his father at age 10. 

Stick taps for Hamonic, who, despite bouncing around the NHL, has stayed in the league for 800 NHL games, and it's rather remarkable that the milestone comes against the Islanders, the team he started his career with.