When the New York Islanders sent Max Tsyplakov to the Devils in exchange for veteran forward Ondrej Palat, it wasn’t about comparing resumes or raw potential. It was about fit - and the Islanders needed a better one. With the playoff race heating up and only 24 games left after the Olympic break, GM Mathieu Darche made a move that speaks volumes about where this team is and what it needs right now.
Let’s be clear: Palat and Tsyplakov are two very different players at very different stages of their careers. Palat is a proven NHL commodity, now in his 14th season.
He’s been through deep playoff runs, knows what it takes to win, and brings a complete game that can slot seamlessly into a top line. Tsyplakov, on the other hand, is still trying to find his footing in North America - and time was running out on that experiment in Long Island.
The Islanders got a firsthand look at both players on Thursday night in Newark, their final game before the three-week Olympic break. It was a fitting snapshot of where each player is right now.
Palat, playing on the top line with Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, looked like someone who’d been part of the group for months, not days. Tsyplakov, meanwhile, started on the Devils’ fourth line - a telling sign of how far his stock has dropped since arriving from the KHL.
This trade wasn’t just about adding offense. It was about trust, consistency, and filling a role the Islanders desperately needed to solidify.
Palat checks those boxes. He’s not flashy, and he’s not going to lead the league in scoring, but his ability to win puck battles, make smart plays in tight areas, and play a responsible two-way game gives coach Patrick Roy a reliable presence next to his stars.
That’s something the Isles couldn’t coax out of Tsyplakov, despite giving him ample chances.
“He’s such a smart player,” Horvat said postgame. “He might not be the flashiest or the fastest. But his ability to make plays and stay in the rush and make those little plays that go unnoticed from a lot of people doesn’t go unnoticed in here.”
That’s the kind of endorsement you want from your top center. And it’s not just lip service.
Palat brings a level of hockey IQ that elevates the players around him. He’s not trying to do too much - he just does the right things consistently.
That’s gold for a team trying to lock down a playoff spot.
Meanwhile, the Isles’ margin for error is shrinking. They can’t afford to carry players who aren’t pulling their weight, especially with a tightly packed schedule post-Olympics.
That’s why Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch on Thursday, and why Cal Ritchie was reinserted into the lineup after missing six games with a lower-body injury. Roy benched Duclair for the final two periods of Tuesday’s win over Pittsburgh, citing his defensive lapses.
Message sent.
Tsyplakov, for his part, never quite found his rhythm. He came over from Spartak Moscow with a scorer’s pedigree - 31 goals and 16 assists in 65 games in the KHL last season - and put up a respectable 10 goals and 25 assists in 77 games as an NHL rookie.
But this year, the wheels came off. Just one goal and one assist in 27 games, and far too many nights watching from the press box.
The Islanders wanted him to play with more edge, more responsibility. Tsyplakov, though, felt boxed in by the system and the limited ice time.
“I played not a lot and can’t use my skills,” he said. “I don’t have a lot of opportunity and chance to show what I can do and I’m really upset about this. But it’s a good chance for me here and I need to play hard and show how I can play.”
He acknowledged that both Darche and Roy asked him to play a more physical, all-around game - something he admits makes sense, but also something he believes he needed more time to adapt to.
“I know I am a player who can change the game and bring some skills,” he said. “Maybe it was because of that I don’t play a lot. But I know I can bring some points and skills in the game.”
From the Islanders’ perspective, it just wasn’t happening fast enough. And with the season slipping into its most critical stretch, Darche decided it was time to stop waiting.
“Sometimes those things are tough to explain,” Darche said after the trade. “We gave him opportunities.
Maybe his confidence was down. One thing I’ll say though and I told him when I called him, I really respected him.
It was a tough situation and his attitude was outstanding the whole time.”
That respect is real. But so is the business of winning games.
And in that business, Palat is a known quantity. He brings structure, experience, and reliability - three things the Islanders need in spades as they gear up for the final push.
Darche didn’t just trade for a player. He traded for peace of mind.
Palat gives the Islanders a better chance to win now. And right now, that’s all that matters.