Jaroslav Halak clears waivers, demoted to AHL by Islanders

In September, Jaroslav Halak reestablished himself as an elite big-game goalie, backstopping Team Europe to the World Cup of Hockey championship round.

In December, Jaroslav Halak was demoted to the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers by the New York Islanders.

Halak, 31, cleared waivers on Saturday, one day after the Islanders placed him there. While there are definitely NHL teams that could use a proven veteran goalie in need of a change in scenery, there obviously weren’t any teams willing to change the scenery for a goalie with a $4.5 million cap hit who’s signed through 2018. (He also makes $5 million in real salary next season.)

Halak has been pulled from three of his last 11 starts for the Islanders, and wasn’t good in his last start for the Islanders, a 6-4 loss to the Minnesota Wild.

“We needed a better effort from Jaro, quite honestly,” coach Jack Capuano said. “Four goals on 24 shots isn’t going to get it done. Jaro wasn’t sharp at all. He gave up some soft goals and we had to battle back.”

Thomas Greiss and J-F Berube will now be the two-headed goalie for the Islanders, having chopped off that third head and shipped it Bridgeport.

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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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