Boychuk, 36, was cut by a skate in a game against the Montreal Canadiens on March 3 and required 90 stitches. Back in June, Boychuk indicated that recovery was going well and he did return for three games during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
He’s been with the Islanders for six seasons and played in a total of 725 career NHL games, scoring 54 goals and 206 points. He had two years remaining on his contract, at a $6 million AAV.
Boychuk’s retirement will give the Islanders the cap relief they desperately need and will leave the team with room to re-sign forward Mathew Barzal.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Does Johnny Boychuk's career ending come as a surprise to you?