Halak impressing with Sound Tigers

Jaroslav Halak is making major saves in the minors.

The now go-to goaltender for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the minor-league affiliate of the New York Islanders, has found his game since the big club demoted him Dec. 31.

Appearing in 11 games since, Halak has come away with just one loss, owning a 8-1-1 record, a 2.11 goals-against average, and a .924 save percentage. Only six netminders with as many games have posted a better save rate.

Halak's demotion was a curious move by the Islanders.

The veteran netminder put up decent numbers in the NHL this season - his .904 save percentage was down from the previous year, but times were tough under then-Islanders coach Jack Capuano.

Halak was only a few months removed from his standout performance with Team Europe at the World Cup, in which his .941 save percentage led a ragtag group to the tournament final.

But the Brooklyn crease was overcrowded, with the Islanders also carrying Thomas Greiss and Jean-Francois Berube. That led the club to waive Halak and subsequently demote him to the minors.

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The 31-year-old has a year remaining on his contract, carrying a $4.5-million cap hit, while he's owed slightly more at $5 million. That's a tough pill to swallow for the Islanders, who must pay Halak his full salary while he's playing in the AHL.

With the veteran showing he still has game, could a suitor come knocking? And would the Islanders be willing to retain money to facilitate a deal? The NHL trade deadline is just three weeks out, so we'll know soon enough.