Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson said that the club was willing to take on bad contracts. The Islanders took advantage of that on Thursday.
New York traded winger Josh Bailey, along with a 2026 second-round pick, to Chicago for future considerations.
The deal was a pure salary dump for the Islanders, who were operating quite close to cap heading into free agency on Saturday.
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Bailey, 33, had spent all 15 years of his NHL career on Long Island. He is coming off a 2022-23 season where he played in 64 games, potting eight goals and 25 points, the lowest point total since his rookie season in 2008-09.
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The Sporting News has the full details of the Bailey trade to the Blackhawks.
Josh Bailey trade details
- Blackhawks receive: F Josh Bailey, 2026 second-round pick
- Islanders receive: Future considerations
The deal is a pure salary dump for the Islanders, getting Bailey and his $5 million cap hit off their books. The club was forced to tie a future second-round pick as incentive for the Blackhawks to take the deal.
In return, the Islanders received future considerations, meaning that either a player, draft pick or a combination of both will eventually go back to New York at a later date.
For Chicago, adding Bailey gives the team another veteran in the locker room. Davidson previously acquired Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno from the Bruins, two more guys with plenty of experience. He has stated that he wants to add players with strong leadership skills in order to help No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard in his transition to the NHL.
In addition, by taking on Bailey's cap hit, it will help Chicago reach the cap floor for this season.
Josh Bailey contract details
Bailey is in the final year of his six-year, $30 million contract he signed with the Islanders in 2018. He carries a cap hit of $5 million for this season.
He will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
| Year | AAV |
| 2023-24 | $5,000,000 |