PITTSBURGH — With no NHL goalies signed for next season, Islanders general manager Garth Snow did the best he could.
On Thursday afternoon, Snow traded a fourth-round pick to the Capitals in exchange for Jaroslav Halak — or, more aptly, for the rights to negotiate with Halak for two months. The 28-year-old is set to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
“He’s been a pretty solid goalie in this league for a good number of years,” Snow told The Post. “Obviously he’s battled some injuries here and there. Other than that, he’s shown great ability to keep the puck out of the net.”
Halak, who was traded twice this past season, from the Blues to the Sabres to the Capitals, and carries a career 2.38 goals-against average a .918 save percentage, has never played more than 57 games in season.
He signed a four-year, $15 million deal with the Blues before the 2010-11 season, with an average annual salary-cap hit of $3.75 million. Once Thursday’ s trade happened, Snow got on the phone with Halak and his agent, Allan Walsh, and they had what both parties deemed a “positive conversation.”
Halak is fully open to signing with the Islanders — a question that has to be asked because many free agents have rebuked above-market-value offers from the lowly suburban outfit, which is also currently being shopped by owner Charles Wang — and yet he obviously will not be giving them a discount of any sort.
Halak, who also had a strange episode this season when he told the Capitals he was “uncomfortable” playing against the Blues because they were his old team, is believed to be looking in the three-to-five year range at around $4 million per season.
“It’s still a long way from getting him signed,” Snow said. “It’s obviously going to come down to money and term, like it usually does.”
For the past two seasons, the Islanders have relied on veteran Evgeni Nabokov, who is also an unrestricted free agent. Snow said, “We would still like to bring Nabby back, if it’s under the right circumstances.” But with his 39th birthday coming in July, Nabokov is not the long-term answer. Both Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson, two goalies used this season, are restricted free agents.
The fourth-round pick Snow sent to Washington was acquired in sending Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Peter Regin to the Blackhawks earlier in the season, and if Snow and Halak can’t agree on a contract, the Islanders could possibly trade his rights and get that pick back.
Either way, in a ripe goalie market, Snow thinks he found his man.
“There a lot of quality goalies out there,” Snow said, “some I’ve always admired, and Jaro is near the top of that list.”