The New York Islanders have acquired goaltender Kristers Gudlevskis from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for forward Carter Verhaeghe.
Gudlevskis, 24, posted a 15-10-7 record last season with a 2.65 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage in 37 games with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League. The Aizkraukle, Latvia, native also appeared in one National Hockey League game last season with the Lightning.
Tampa Bay selected Gudlevskis in the fifth round (124th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft. In 158 career AHL games with Syracuse, he’s posted a 74-47-19 record with a 2.75 GAA and a .902 save percentage with eight shutouts. He was selected to play in the AHL All-Star Classic in 2016, and has appeared in three NHL games with the Lightning (1-0-1, 1.37, .959).
On the international stage, Gudlevskis represented Latvia at the 2014 Winter Olympics, the 2013 and 2014 World Championships, the 2012 and 2011 World Junior Championships and the 2010 Under-18 World Championships.
Verhaeghe, 21, skated in 45 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2016-17, recording 16 goals and 29 points with 20 penalty minutes. The 6-foot-1, 182-pound forward ranked tied for third on the Sound Tigers for goals and tied for fifth for power-play goals with four. He set career highs for games played, goals, assists, points and power-play goals during the 2016-17 season.
Verhaeghe also played in 16 games with the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL, collecting 12 goals and 32 points.
The Toronto, Ont., native has appeared in 77 career AHL games over the past three seasons with the Sound Tigers and Toronto Marlies, collecting 22 goals and 45 points.
