New York Islanders: 3 players who are gone but not forgotten

Matt Moulson

It is hard to believe that Matt Moulson has been absent from the Islanders for seven years already. This was a pure goal scorer who arrived back in 2009, the same year “he who shall not be named” made his way into the Islanders’ spotlight.

The Ontario native seems to be the goal scorer this team needed, racking up three 30-plus goal seasons in his first three Islander campaigns. From 2009-2011, Moulson averaged 32.3 goals per season while averaging 56.7 points. He just seemed to be one of those guys in the right spot on the ice at the right time.

On Dec 3, 2011, Moulson could not be stopped as he lit the lamp a total of four times against the Dallas Stars. His team would need all four of these goals, as they barely won the back and forth game by a score of 5-4.

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He would cap that season off with a career-best 36 goals and 69 points as the sky seemed to be the limit for the then 26-year old.

Following that tremendous season, the NHL would run into some unfortunate issues. The players would go on strike, leading to a regular season of just 48 games. Moulson would play in 47 of the team’s 48, racking up 15 goals and 29 assists. His goals per game dropped from .439 to .313 but finished with a strong 43 points.

The fans loved him. His teammates loved him. However, like every sport, hockey is a business, and after just 11 games into the 2013-14 campaign, a contract year none the less, he would be shipped off to Buffalo for veteran star Thomas Vanek. Garth Snow was still at the helm, giving up a second-round selection in 2015 and a conditional first-round pick in 2014 for a guy who made it clear that he would test free agency come to the end of the season.

While Vanek did play well alongside Tavares, registering 44 points in 47 games, Tavares would suffer a season-ending leg injury. Because it was slim Vanek would re-sign anyway, he was dealt to the Habs before ultimately signing with the Wild, a place he had stated he wanted to be prior due to his collegiate connection, starring at the University of Minnesota.

Moulson would play 44 games with Buffalo (11 goals,18 assists) before being shipped off. Coincidentally enough, he would join Vanek and the Minnesota Wild. In the team’s remaining 20 games, he lit the lamp six times.

When it came time to test free agency, Moulson elected to head back to Buffalo. He was never the same player, as his stats took a significant hit, causing Molson to be forgotten by many.
He last played in an NHL game for the Sabres back in 2017-18.

In the last three seasons, he has bounced around the American Hockey League, recently playing for the Hershey Bears this past season, an affiliate of the Washington Capitals. The dream of playing at the NHL level will sadly never come again for the 37-year old, but we are glad to see he is still playing.

Working for the Binghamton Devils this past year, I was fortunate enough to watch Moulson play when the teams met in Upstate New York. He wears an “A” on his jersey, and it seems that while he will never get a shot at the NHL level again, he is doing what he can to be a leader for his younger teammates.