Islanders trade Wisniewski to Habs

Reinforcing their view to the future and their desire to rebuild from within, the Islanders traded James Wisniewski to the Canadiens yesterday for a second-round pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2012 draft.

Wisniewski, 26, was acquired from the Ducks on July 30 for a third-round pick and led all Islanders with 18 assists. He was meant to be a strong, veteran complement to Mark Streit on defense, but Wisniewski was thrust into a more prominent role when Streit was lost in the preseason with a shoulder injury.

"From our standpoint, this is the going rate for a player of that caliber," general manager Garth Snow told Newsday. "But probably bigger than that has been the emergence of Travis Hamonic. Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald have been playing big minutes and that gave us the confidence to make this move."

Hamonic, a second-round pick in the 2008 draft, was recalled on Nov. 23 and has grown into a bigger role on the Islanders’ blue line.

Wisniewski, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, was a vocal leader in the dressing room but even he could see that things were not going as well as planned.

"They’re 16 points out of a playoff spot and they’re going with the young talent they have," Wisniewski said. "They got a second-rounder for me. It’s a deal they felt like they had to make. There’s definitely no hard feelings."

Wisniewski will try to fill the void left when Andrei Markov, the Canadiens’ top offensive defenseman, was lost for the season with a knee injury. "This is three times I’ve been traded in two years," said Wisniewski, who was dealt from the Hawks to the Ducks at the trade deadline in the 2008-09 season. "I just want to do what I can to help the team I’m with. That’s the Canadiens now."

The Islanders, who host the Penguins tonight, have a few other players with expiring contracts who might be attractive to other teams. Matt Moulson, who leads the Isles with 11 goals, will be an unrestricted free agent in July; indications are the Islanders want to sign Moulson to a long-term deal.

Goalie Dwayne Roloson, one of the NHL’s three stars of last week, is also unrestricted after the season.