Islanders Free Agent Exits: Neuvirth to Flyers, Donovan to Sabres, Ness to Capitals

The New York Islanders pretty much landed their known targets on the first day of free agency, signing backup goaltender Thomas Greiss, officially inking 2008 draft pick Kirill Petrov to an NHL deal, and announcing the re-signing of Thomas Hickey.

The list of free agents they let walk, mostly AHLers and/or little-used backups, started to find new homes too. Among the notable ones:

• Michal Neuvirth, the backup Greiss will replace, signed with the Philadelphia Flyers on a two-year, $3.25 million deal.
• Matt Donovan, who was kept on the NHL roster all last season -- and thus not exposed to waivers -- but bizarrely, rarely used -- like worthy of a song lyric bizarre -- signed a reported one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres.
  
• Aaron Ness, the captain in AHL Bridgeport who logged 29 games with the Islanders (but none last year) in two separate seasons, was signed to a new one-year, two-way deal by the Washington Capitals/Hershey Bears.
  
• Kael Mouillierat, who had two separate stints with the Sound Tigers -- plus his first six NHL games and his first NHL goal with the Islanders last season -- has signed a two-way deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

There are others to come, of course. Other franchise free agents include Eric Boulton, Matt Carkner, Dustin Jeffrey, Tyler Kennedy, Colin McDonald, Lubomir Visnovsky, Harry Zolnierczyk and others you may have forgotten about (Jason Clark!).

We'll revisit this list later as more find new homes. Meanwhile, good luck to the new ex-Isles in their new homes! But not too much luck.