Islanders acquire goalie Jaroslav Halak from Capitals

Washington Capitals goalie Jaroslav Halak ranked 8th in the NHL with a 2.28 GAA. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The Washington Capitals have traded the rights to goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the New York Islanders in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, the Capitals announced.

Halak is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He made $4.5 million last season.

Halak appeared in 12 games with the Caps, winning five games with a 2.31 GAA and .930 save percentage. He was fourth in the NHL with five shutouts.

Halak had a 24-9-4 record and 2.23 goals-against average with the St. Louis Blues before being shipped to the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 28. Halak did not play for the Sabres, who traded him to the Capitals a week later.

Washington's newly-acquired fourth-round pick originally belonged to the Blackhawks. Chicago sent that pick to the Islanders in February, in exchange for Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Peter Regin.

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