The New York Islanders have acquired defenseman Braydon Coburn from the Ottawa Senators, in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
#Isles Transaction: The New York Islanders have acquired Braydon Coburn from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for the Islanders seventh round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft. https://t.co/Y3Qy3uk2Tp
Coburn is 36 years old and has 980 career games of NHL experience. He’s played 16 games with the Senators this year, registering two assists and averaging 16:25 per game. Coburn is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
ANALYSIS
Coburn won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year and the Islanders are looking to contend for a Cup themselves. Giving up a seventh-round pick to ensure you have depth in the playoffs in case of injuries makes some sense.
That said, the Islanders have a pretty set defense group and Thomas Hickey was always a depth option as well. The Islanders also don't have the deepest prospect pool and while it is a seventh-round pick, a pick is a pick.
Even if it wasn’t a necessary move though, playing it safe with depth might be worth it for the price they paid.
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