The New York Islanders signed defenseman Ryan Pulock to an eight-year contract extension yesterday, which carries a $6.15 million cap hit. The first year of the deal kicks in for the start of the 2022-23 season.
Pulock just turned 27 years old and has been a reliable, top-pairing defender for the team, where he and partner Adam Pelech have emerged as one of the best defensive pairings in the league. Pulock still has one year remaining on his current contract, which carries a $5 million cap hit.
As far as I’m concerned, Pulock’s long-term extension is another huge win for general manager Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders. Deals for both Pelech and Pulock came in cheaper than expected and should help to keep the Islanders competitive for a long time.
As for the price, the Islanders were likely able to capitalize on Pulock’s down year production-wise. The defenseman is typically good for a pace of around 40 points per 82 games but last season, Pulock was on pace for just 25 points per 82 games. That's not to say there was a decline in his play, as he was still just as solid for the team defensively and continued to perform well against tough matchups. A year ago, however, I had predicted an eight-year contract for Pulock may have came in around $7 million per year, but $6.15 million after a less productive year looks great.
Recently, we’ve seen several defenders with high-end offensive upside go for $9 million per year or more and while they may not be directly comparable to Pulock, those contracts certainly make this deal look good. I don’t think many people would be complaining if the Islanders got Pulock locked up for around $7 million or even a bit more, so to get him closer to $6 million is excellent.
The eight-year term is also reasonable, especially given his age. Pulock shouldn’t face a decline for many years until potentially the very end of the contract and at that point, the cap should be much higher.
This deal looks great for the Islanders and is cheap enough to preserve some cap flexibility for the coming years. Pulock should remain an essential part of the team in the years to come.
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