The New York Islanders have added veteran defenseman Ben Hutton on a one-year contract, converting the professional tryout he signed earlier in the week into a full NHL deal.
The move, announced by the team, gives the club immediate depth on the blue line at a time when injuries have thinned the roster.
Hutton, 33 and entering his 12th season, spent the previous five campaigns with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Last year, he posted 15 points (six goals and nine assists) in 55 games, establishing a career high in goals while averaging modest ice time as a reliable depth option.
He contributed an assist during Vegas’s seven-game run to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final.
Over parts of 11 NHL seasons that also included stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Toronto Maple Leafs, the left-shot defenseman has accumulated 139 points (30 goals, 109 assists) in 575 regular-season games. He was a member of the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup championship team.
Originally selected by Vancouver in the fifth round (147th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft, the Brockville, Ontario native developed at the University of Maine.
In three collegiate seasons, he recorded 65 points in 108 games and earned NCAA East Second All-American recognition in 2013-14 after tallying 29 points in 35 contests.
Internationally, he represented Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship, helping the team win gold while recording one assist in five games.
The signing addresses pressing needs on Long Island. Alexander Romanov is sidelined for the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL in early October, and Ryan Pulock is expected to miss two to four weeks with an upper-body injury.
With only six healthy defensemen available entering the stretch, the Islanders opted for a proven veteran rather than relying solely on younger or less experienced options.
Hutton had previously attended Ottawa’s training camp on a tryout before being released; after training on his own for more than a month, he joined the Islanders’ practice group and quickly earned a roster spot.
Head coach Pete DeBoer, who worked with Hutton in Vegas during the 2021-22 season, has spoken positively about the player’s experience, versatility, and enthusiasm for returning to a team environment.
Financial terms were not included in the team’s official announcement, though reports indicate a one-way deal carrying a pro-rated $900,000 cap hit for the remainder of the 2026-27 campaign.
Hutton becomes immediately available and is expected to compete for third-pair minutes alongside players such as Scott Mayfield and Matt Kessel.
For a club navigating a depleted defense while remaining competitive, the addition of a Stanley Cup-tested left-shot blueliner offers a low-risk, short-term solution that brings both familiarity and reliability to the lineup.
