Islanders Acquire Braydon Coburn From Senators
The New York Islanders have acquired defenseman Braydon Coburn from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round pick.
After trading for Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac, Lou Lamoriello has now bolstered the backend. Coburn is a physical, big-bodied depth defenseman who won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year.
#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
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 12, 2021
He joins Sebastian Aho and Thomas Hickey as injury replacements on the blueline. If a defenseman goes down, the Islanders will have ample bodies to replace him.
Braydon Coburn is not necessarily a very good player. But it’s better to have replacement-level depth than AHL-level depth
— Shwax (@Shwax) April 12, 2021
Most importantly, this move gives the Islanders another player with a winning attitude in the dressing room. Especially if New York is in a playoff series against Tampa Bay, Coburn’s experience will be invaluable.
Ottawa traded Coburn and defenseman Mike Reilly (traded to the Boston Bruins for a 2022 third-round pick) within a few minutes of each other just one day before Monday’s NHL Trade Deadline.
The Senators received a seventh-round pick for Coburn, a player they waived just two months ago, and made yet another trade with New York after sending Jean-Gabriel Pageau to Long Island last February.
The Islanders still have salary cap to make another move.
#Isles acquiring Braydon Coburn tonight doesn’t completely rule out another move tomorrow. Currently at $1.55m in cap space; could add more by sending Komarov to the taxi squad or putting Johnston on LTIR.
Do they need to add? That’s a separate question.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) April 12, 2021
But with the NHL Trade Deadline only a few hours away, Lamoriello could be calling it quits after acquiring three very good veterans to his squad.
Featured image courtesy of Adrian Wyld/CP.
