NHL teams
Joe McDonald, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

No denying Boychuk's impact in N.Y.

NHL, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Johnny Boychuk's intangibles have helped turn the once lukewarm New York Islanders into a dynamic and trendy pick to win the Eastern Conference.

His impact in New York was immediate. His absence in Boston has been felt all season.

When Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli decided to trade Boychuk to the Islanders, in exchange for a pair of second-round picks and a conditional third-round pick before the start of the 2014-15 season, the general manager knew the transaction would not be received well behind closed doors.

Despite knowing Chiarelli was dealing with salary-cap constraints, Bruins players were upset with the trade. Not only did the Boston Bruins lose a reliable, durable, Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, Boychuk's presence off the ice meant just as much to the team.

Boychuk learned accountability during his time in Boston. When he arrived in New York in the fall, he knew there would be more responsibility as the veteran player on the team. The Islanders rely on his leadership both on and off the ice, and it's evident with the team's success this season.

There's no denying the Islanders made out with this deal.

"A tough guy to trade," said one Eastern Conference team executive. "He's a good player who was a glue guy on their team. The Bruins probably thought they could replace him with [Adam] McQuaid and [Kevan] Miller, but defensemen like Boychuk are hard to find. [Boston] mismanaged their cap and, while the salary cap is $69 million this year, they are in a league penalty of $4 million, so their cap is essentially $65 million, forcing them to essentially move Boychuk," he added, referring to the bonuses paid to Jarome Iginla, who has since signed with the Colorado Avalanche.

Entering Thursday's game against the Bruins at Nassau Coliseum, the Islanders are atop the Eastern Conference with a 32-14-1 record for 65 points. Boychuk has four goals and 20 assists for a career-high 24 points. The Islanders are 13-3-0 when he plays the most minutes. He also has five multiple-point games. He leads the power play and is one of the team's best penalty killers, too.

His accomplishments on the ice are evident, but it's Boychuk's personality and work ethic off the ice that has become infectious for the Islanders.

"He's got a great personality. He's a throwback kind of guy, and I like to have that type of guy in our room," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "He knows when to loosen some guys up and is real serious when he needs to be."

Boychuk is the type of player who knows when to be loose and energetic. He's also focused when it's time for puck-drop.

"Johnny was an unreal guy in the room," said one former Bruins player.

Boychuk has always had that hybrid mentality, and he first honed those skills during his five seasons in the minors. After the Bruins acquired him via trade with the Avalanche (giving up Matt Hendricks), Boychuk spent the 2008-09 season with Boston's AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. It was then when the organization realized how valuable he could be.

He quickly became known as a "great team guy" by the coaching staff. Former Islanders head coach Scott Gordon spent eight seasons as both an assistant and head coach for the P-Bruins. His first year with the Islanders was 2008-09, and although he did not coach Boychuk, Gordon has a keen knowledge of the inner workings of both organizations and understands how Boston's loss is New York's gain.

"He's a hockey junkie. He wants to be around the locker room all the time, and he's a great teammate," Gordon said. "What he brings to the Islanders, and this is just me watching it from the outside, I've always been impressed with how hard he competed. Here's a guy that was pretty much, with all the years he played in the minors, you wouldn't have thought that he would be going in the direction of playing in the NHL, but he stuck with it."

There's no denying Boychuk's impact with the Islanders. Despite wearing a different sweater now, he hasn't changed.

"He brings that fun energy to the rink, and he's always consistent on the ice," said Islanders goaltender Chad Johnson, who played with Boychuk with the Bruins last season. "Johnny has the experience, and he knows what he has to do to be successful and win championships, and that's be himself and be the same person he is every day, play hard and play his style of hockey. That's been good for this team, for sure."

Ask any player on any successful team and he or she will tell you it all starts in the locker room. A team can have all the talent in the world, but if there is friction in the room, it will have a negative effect on the ice. The Islanders are playing with a lot of confidence this season and Boychuk's presence has helped mold this team. Former New York defensemen Andrew MacDonald and Mark Streit were similar in comparison, but the Islanders haven't had this type of well-rounded defenseman on their roster in recent years.

"When you take the whole package of what he brings, he's been a great addition for the Islanders," Gordon said. "It's something they haven't had a lot of, and it was a great trade for them to be able to pick him up."

Since the Islanders are a young team and haven't enjoyed perennial success in recent seasons, Boychuk's presence has enhanced the quality of the team. He will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and will likely earn upward of $6 million per season with his next contract, and the Islanders will have to spend that type of money to keep him.

"You think about it," Boychuk said of his contract. "But for right now, it's just worrying about what our team is doing and how we're going to prepare going into the playoffs and staying healthy."

The Islanders have a chance to have a long and successful playoff run. In fact, Boychuk sees similarities with this current Islanders team to Boston's championship club of 2011.

"Yeah, definitely," Boychuk said. "We have skilled forwards, speed, a lot of grit, good goaltending and good D, and we've been playing consistent. That's the main key, playing consistent and staying healthy. If that does happen in the playoffs, we have a good chance of winning."

During his time in Boston, Boychuk won a Stanley Cup and reached the finals once more. He played on a Presidents' Trophy team and knows how to win. To a man, the Islanders are feeding off his vibe, and that's one of the reasons the Islanders could have a special season.

"I learned a lot from [Boston] and I brought it here, trying to teach some of the younger guys different things," Boychuk said.

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