The Islanders did what they had to do before the clock struck 12:01 on Friday.
Congrats, you made it to Friday.
This Friday is a bit different than most, as we are now in the NHL's holiday roster freeze.
From 12:01 this morning until 12:01 on Dec. 27, teams cannot make trades, place players on waivers, or assign any plays to the minor leagues.
Teams are also unable to place any players on long-term injured reserve. This freeze protects players and their families from being moved.
So, how does the freeze affect the New York Islanders?
During the duration of the freeze, the Islanders will play two games, and the belief is that Anthony Duclair will be able to return from his lower-body injury either on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tuesday against the Buffalo Sabres.
After waiving defenseman Grant Hutton and seeing him clear at 2 PM on Thursday and placing goaltender Semyon Varlamov on long-term injured reserve, the Islanders now have the cap space and roster spot for Duclair.
All the Islanders have to do is click the activation button.