Islanders trade Sound Tigers captain for forward
Kyle Burroughs woke up Sunday morning the longest-tenured Bridgeport Sound Tiger, and by Sunday afternoon he was the newest member of the Colorado Avalanche.
The New York Islanders, Bridgeport’s parent club, traded the defenseman, the Sound Tigers’ captain the past two years, to Colorado on Sunday for left winger A.J. Greer.
“Obviously a lot of mixed emotions,” Burroughs said. “I’m excited for the new opportunity, but it’s tough to leave relationships within that organization that I had, as far as management, coaches, players, teammates, trainers.”
Burroughs played 313 games over parts of six seasons for the Sound Tigers, trailing only two other captains, Mark Wotton (368) and Jeremy Colliton (326).
He was co-captain with Ben Holmstrom in 2018-19, then captain alone in 201920. Twice he was Bridgeport’s nominee for the AHL’s humanitarian award, the Yanick Dupre Award.
In 2016-17, Greer earned the nod for the Dupre Award over Burroughs and other team nominees.
Colorado drafted Greer, who’ll turn 24 in December, in the second round in 2015. In 199 games for the Avalanche’s AHL affiliates over four seasons, he has scored 58 goals and 69 assists. He has also played 37 NHL games.
The Islanders’ AHL depth was largely on its defense, and meanwhile
Bridgeport’s offense ranked last in the league in the pandemic-shortened 201920 season. Greer would’ve led Bridgeport with 32 points last season, and his 16 goals would’ve been second.
The Islanders drafted Burroughs in the seventh round in 2013. He played nine games for Bridgeport as an 18-year-old the next spring and at the time was the youngest player in team history; sometime defense partner Parker Wotherspoon and teammate Simon
Holmstrom have since dropped that record lower.
Being drafted, Burroughs said, was a memory he’ll carry from his seven years in the organization.
“The Islanders gave me the opportunity — obviously as a kid you strive to be drafted,” Burroughs said. “There are so many games I could say as memories. Every game, it was great to put on that jersey and play there.”