The Sabres have shipped a second goaltender out in one season. Buffalo sent Michal Neuvirth to the New York Islanders for goalie Chad Johnson and a 2015 third-round pick.
Johnson has played 19 games with the Islanders this season, posting a 8-8-1 record, .889 save percentage, and a 3.08 goals against average. He’s signed through next season at a cap hit of $1.3 million, meaning he’ll likely be the team’s backup goaltender next season.
Neuvirth played 29 games total for the Sabres since being acquired at last year’s trade deadline. The Czech tender has been exceptionally strong as of late, but struggled for a majority of the season. He finishes the year with a 6-17-3 record, a .918 save percentage, and a 2.99 goals against average with Buffalo this season. He is a pending unrestricted free agent.
Neuvirth will now backup Jaroslav Halak in New York, the player he was traded for in the Sabres and Captials trade last season.