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Just as the 2012 NHL Draft got underway, news broke that the New York Islanders have acquired defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky from the Anaheim Ducks for a 2013 2nd-round draft pick.
Visnovsky is a veteran defenseman who has seen better days but will still be an upgrade for the Islanders blueline, a weak spot over the last several seasons. He will turn 36 in August. By Behind the Net-style possession numbers he was still an effective defenseman for the Ducks last season.
Visnovsky is entering the final year of a five-year contract that pays him an average of $5.6 million, which is his annual cap hit. According to CapGeek, his salary in 2012-13 is $3 million. So it's a "cap-friendly" deal for budget teams like the Ducks and Islanders that tend not to operate near the cap ceiling.
This is the third trade of Visnovsky, as the Kings traded him to the Oilers in 2008 for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene, and the Oilers traded him to the Ducks in March 2010 for Ryan Whitney and a 6th-round pick. He offers the Isles a bit of offensive punch as a powerplay guy, as well as some physicality despite his 5'10" 197-lb. frame.
Note: Our first-round NHL Draft open thread continues here.