Last year after the dust settled with John Tavares, the New York Islanders added depth players to their team including Tom Kuhnhackl. Coming off two recent Stanley Cup victories with the Pittsburgh Penguins he was a very cheap depth option which is completely justifiable.
He signed a one-year deal at $700,000 for the 2018-2019 season, and now the Islanders doubled down on him bringing him back for one-year $850,000. An affordable rate for a player like Kuhnhackl.
Even though they signed Tanner Fritz, for a nearly identical contract ($700,000 cap hit), it’s not all too surprising that the Islanders brought him back.