The New York Islanders announced they have traded forward Jason Chimera to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for heavy-hitting forward Chris Wagner on Monday, according to the team.
#Isles Transaction: team has acquired Chris Wagner from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Jason Chimera. pic.twitter.com/kEf8WdEssi
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 26, 2018
Chimera is a grizzled veteran who comes with a ton of experience for the Ducks who currently hold onto the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference. At 38, Chimera has 11 points in 58 games this season with the Islanders and resided on the team’s fourth line.
While it’s not the kind of production that he would want to see – especially being just two years removed from a 40-point campaign with the Washington Capitals in 2015-16 – he does recognize his role in the NHL now and has embraced it.
He’s averaging just over 11 minutes a game this season and 1.85 hits per game – totalling 107 through his 58 games. That said, he can still produce given the opportunity. He has 413 points in 1,091 career games and can be a force when it comes to forechecking.
On top of that he brings 69 games of playoff experience to the Ducks who will be looking to make a push down the stretch to secure a spot in the postseason. He has the experience in getting there and can add to the team’s production once they’re there.
Chimera is also a rental for the Ducks, as he’s in the final year of a two-year contract he signed with the Islanders on Jul. 1, 2016. The deal was worth $4.5 million with an annual average value (AAV) of $2.25 million. Following the season, he will become an unrestricted free agent and will likely hit the market once again if he hopes to continue his NHL career.
Wagner to the Island
As for what the Islanders got back in this deal, they get a 26-year-old forward who also doesn’t shy away from the physical game. In 64 games this season for the Ducks, Wagner averaged 3.3 hits and sits second in the NHL in the category with 212 so far.
A Ducks’ fifth-round pick in 2010, Wagner’s 64 games this season is a career-high in just his fourth season in the NHL. While he’s better known for his physical play, as mentioned, he has tallied 6 goals and 15 points so far this season – which is also a career-high. That’s not nothing.
He’s averaging just over 13 minutes per game this year, but will likely see that subside with the move to the Islanders. That said, he also joins a team outside of the playoff picture just now fighting for that second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference – just two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Metropolitan Division.
Wagner is also in the final year of his two-year deal, which was signed back on Apr. 1, 2016. His deal carries an AAV of just $637,500 which does open up some cap space for the Islanders saw Chimera go the other way. Like Chimera, however, Wagner will be a UFA at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.
