The New York Islanders announced (via Twitter) that they have placed left winger Eric Boulton on waivers. Teams will have until 11am tomorrow to claim him.
As the league shifts away from having the prototypical enforcers, players like Boulton have seen their role decrease more and more although the 40 year old has still done well to keep securing one year contracts. He’s currently on a two-way deal with the Isles worth the league minimum $575K in the NHL and $150K at the minor league level.
Boulton has been with the Islanders since 2012-13 but has played a sparing role in that time. Despite this being his fifth season with the team, he has only suited up 52 times with them (and has yet to play this season). Over that stretch, he has four goals and two assists but 156 penalty minutes.
He has played in 654 career NHL contests spanning the last 15 years with the Sabres, Thrashers, Devils, and Islanders. He has a total of 79 points (31-48-79) over that span with 1,421 penalty minutes, ranking him fifth among active players.
If Boulton clears, he likely will be signed to their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.
[Related: Islanders Depth Chart]
The Islanders also placed defenseman Ryan Pulock on injured reserve with a lower body. He’s expected to miss the next four to six weeks.