Islanders Trade Wing Michael Grabner To Maple Leafs For 5 Prospects

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- In one fell swoop, Islanders general manager Garth Snow freed up some needed cap space.

Snow traded enigmatic forward Michael Grabner to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday for five prospects. Set to make $5 million in base salary this season, Grabner would have cost the Islanders $3 million against the salary cap.

Grabner's production steadily decreased over the last few seasons due in part to an assortment of injuries. Since putting up 34 goals and 52 points during the 2010-11 season, the 27-year-old Austrian put up just 20, 16, 12 and eight goals, respectively over the last four seasons.

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The move leaves the Islanders approximately $7.5 million under the cap ceiling, according to salary cap site generalfanager.com. Snow now has some maneuverability should he decide to trade for a veteran to help improve a team coming off a 101-point season, but also a first-round playoff exit.

The move came just hours after the Islanders announced that restricted free agent forward Brock Nelson had agreed to a three-year contract.

In the Grabner deal, New York received left wing Taylor Beck, who had 16 points in 62 games last season for the Nashville Predators, plus defensemen Matt Finn and Tom Nilsson, goalie Christopher Gibson, and center Carter Verhaeghe. If nothing else, the haul will help replenish the Islanders' developing talent pool that was tapped into to acquire players such as Stanley Cup-winning defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy last fall.

The Isles officially opened training camp on Thursday in anticipation of their first season playing in Brooklyn's Barclays Center following a 43-year run at Nassau Coliseum. Their first practice is scheduled for 9:10 a.m. on Friday.