New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic spoke to reporters briefly on Thursday to address the recent reports that the franchise is shopping him, at his request. According to Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post, Hamonic referred to the matter as "strictly personal" and refused to go much further beyond indicating that, if need be, he'd be willing to play the entire season for the Islanders.
Hamonic: "At the root of all this is a personal family matter of mine that I hold dear to my heart." #Isles
— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) November 19, 2015
Hamonic referred to the fact that things about his family have been "well-documented" and again reiterated that he would not comment further.
Islanders head coach Jack Capuano told Cyrgalis that he has known about Hamonic's issue "for months" and that he and GM Garth Snow have discussed players who they could possibly receive in trade who currently play in the West.
He also said that "life is more important than hockey," per Cyrgalis.
It was reported Wednesday afternoon by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet that the Isles had "very quietly" begun shopping Hamonic, their 25-year-old, still-blossoming blueliner that they have locked up at a very affordable AAV for $3.857 for four more seasons.
TSN's Darren Dreger added that, while Hamonic "loves" New York, family issues had developed which was pulling the stud defenseman back home. Hamonic lost his father at a young age and is known to often host young kids in similar situations as his guest at Islanders home games.
The Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks are among the teams to which the St. Malo, Manitoba native would reportedly prefer to be dealt.
In the end, Capuano's statement on the matter may be the most important. Hamonic isn't unhappy with the organization, but he's clearly dealing with something that transcends the high-profile work that he does.
It's a difficult situation, but if he's doing everything he can to make this easy on Snow and the Islanders - who reportedly are seeking only a comparable player in return, not picks or prospects - including being willing to play out the season, then let's all hope it gets resolved as quickly and amicably as possible and Hamonic is returned to his family in time to deal with whatever unfortunate issue has apparently already begun to unfold.
