NHL Rumors: Islanders To Trade Veteran Winger

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck will likely be traded if they can't get back into the playoff picture.

Trade Watch: List grows with deadline less than 6 weeks away https://t.co/Yqv9b3H3Yx
— The Fourth Period (@TFP) February 10, 2022

The Islanders currently trail the Boston Bruins by 15 points for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference but also have four games in hand. That margin could decrease from here, as Brad Marchand has been suspended six games, and Patrice Bergeron is currently sidelined. However, that isn't definite, and the Islanders will need to win a ton from here to have any chance. If not, Clutterbuck could make a nice addition for a contender.

Clutterbuck is in the final year of his contract and eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer. In 40 games this season, he has five goals, six assists, and a minus-1 rating. With that, he has remained very physical, as he already has a very impressive 165 hits this season. That is the kind of physicality many teams want from a fourth-liner, so he should get a decent amount of interest around the league.

However, for a deal to go down, the Islanders would likely have to retain a good amount of his current $3.5 million cap hit. We will have to wait and see what happens from here with the veteran forward.