Ben Shelley: Ranking the Islanders' worst contracts

Worst contract on Isles payroll Poll: Voted: Someone Else - Garth Snow

Worst contract on Isles payroll Poll: Voted: Someone Else - Garth Snow
- jmo16

I do like the physicality and energy that clutterbuck, Martin and komorov bring when are on their game but I’ll admit those contracts are ugly for what they are.

Part of me thinks that when Lou signed those contracts he wasn’t expecting the team to be a playoff team so he brought in a couple guys that would at least make the isles tough to play against. I personally didn’t have them as a bottom 5 team but I recall after Tavares left everyone was predicting them to be last in the league.

I do like the physicality and energy that clutterbuck, Martin and komorov bring when are on their game but I’ll admit those contracts are ugly for what they are.

Part of me thinks that when Lou signed those contracts he wasn’t expecting the team to be a playoff team so he brought in a couple guys that would at least make the isles tough to play against. I personally didn’t have them as a bottom 5 team but I recall after Tavares left everyone was predicting them to be last in the league.
- RedC21

Just to be fair to Lou, Clutterbuck was not a Lou signing. That was a Snow job. But your points are well-taken.

Rick DePietro. And it's not close.

If you don't think that counts for some reason I'd go with Ladd because he's been pretty bad from day 1. Sadly, I was excited by his signing initially.

Rick DePietro. And it's not close.

If you don't think that counts for some reason I'd go with Ladd because he's been pretty bad from day 1. Sadly, I was excited by his signing initially.
- Queenie_5_hole

Yes, except that DiPietro's contract doesn't count against the cap........so it only matters to the owners who are stuck paying for it, not the fans.

I always love how everyone loves to bring up DiPietro's contract. Rick was 26 years old when he signed that deal. Most of us who had season tickets at the time assumed he would take the big $$ and leave. He would have gotten anywhere from 6-8 mill a year to play for another team. We were being run by an owner who did not want to spend over the money he would be getting by TV contracts and ticket sales rev (everything else including concessions went to SMG). So .. Rick in the prime of his career, after winning out in olympics over Miller to be USA's goalie, ALL-Star, and yes he was a VERY good Goalie for us... at 26 years old.. said I am the face of this franchise, how can you make a deal for me to stay.

well.. we can't give you 6.75 million + a year like khabibulin or Luongo just got...or even the $5.2 mill Broduer is taking.. but to keep this under $20 mill like owner wants we can give u $4.5, but we can do it from much longer term to keep you an Islander forever... will that work?

No one else would have said yes to that at his age. He chose to stay an Islander. He they had years of injury after injury. you don't expect that from a 26 year old kid. ....

no one every brings up guy who got Hurt as a bad contract other than DP. Never heard anyone talk about Flyers signing Pronger, or Leafs signing Blake, or Marc Savard... just DP.

After what Isles's fans just saw happen with JT ... I would think there would finally be an appreciation for him saying.. Nope, I will be an Islander for life. It didn't work out.. he got hurt. I still love the guy for signing that contract. Always will...

Rick DePietro. And it's not close.

If you don't think that counts for some reason I'd go with Ladd because he's been pretty bad from day 1. Sadly, I was excited by his signing initially.
- Queenie_5_hole

You guys are still paying $250k a year for Kovy.. fyi. He did not get hurt.. fyi

I always love how everyone loves to bring up DiPietro's contract. Rick was 26 years old when he signed that deal. Most of us who had season tickets at the time assumed he would take the big $$ and leave. He would have gotten anywhere from 6-8 mill a year to play for another team. We were being run by an owner who did not want to spend over the money he would be getting by TV contracts and ticket sales rev (everything else including concessions went to SMG). So .. Rick in the prime of his career, after winning out in olympics over Miller to be USA's goalie, ALL-Star, and yes he was a VERY good Goalie for us... at 26 years old.. said I am the face of this franchise, how can you make a deal for me to stay.

well.. we can't give you 6.75 million + a year like khabibulin or Luongo just got...or even the $5.2 mill Broduer is taking.. but to keep this under $20 mill like owner wants we can give u $4.5, but we can do it from much longer term to keep you an Islander forever... will that work?

No one else would have said yes to that at his age. He chose to stay an Islander. He they had years of injury after injury. you don't expect that from a 26 year old kid. ....

no one every brings up guy who got Hurt as a bad contract other than DP. Never heard anyone talk about Flyers signing Pronger, or Leafs signing Blake, or Marc Savard... just DP.

After what Isles's fans just saw happen with JT ... I would think there would finally be an appreciation for him saying.. Nope, I will be an Islander for life. It didn't work out.. he got hurt. I still love the guy for signing that contract. Always will...
- niteislander

Have to agree. I know I am in the minority here, but if DP stays healthy, it would have been a steal of a deal. As a fan, one can appreciate an athlete willing to commit long term to their team. Especially after seeing JT take off.

What are poor contracts are Owners given players 7 yr deals at 30. Will see how Toronto loves JT's 11 mill over the next 6 yrs and nothing to show for on the last two.

The bottom line is you roll the dice and hope it does not come up craps.

Shat signings?

Ben you didn't need to include the poll. The answer is obvious.

If DP had of signed with Boston or one of the other places that wanted him that summer it would have been another devastating blow to the fan base at that time. We had just lost so many great young players b/c of Milbury... and DP WAS the face of the franchise. All of the exciting young players and draft choices were shipped out. I was ecstatic when he signed.

If DP had of signed with Boston or one of the other places that wanted him that summer it would have been another devastating blow to the fan base at that time. We had just lost so many great young players b/c of Milbury... and DP WAS the face of the franchise. All of the exciting young players and draft choices were shipped out. I was ecstatic when he signed.
- niteislander

Milbury really screwed up here. We wouldn't have needed DP if the bozo didn't trade Luongo in the first place, which has been debated previously.

Milbury really screwed up here. We wouldn't have needed DP if the bozo didn't trade Luongo in the first place, which has been debated previously.
- NYIFan4Life

At one point we had Brewer who became Capt in Edmonton, Luongo who became capt in Vancouver, McCabe who became capt in Toronto, Chara who became capt in Ottawa and Boston, Olli Jokinen who became captain in Florida, and one other that I can't remember that was a Captain after Milbury traded him. ... being a season ticket holder back then and watching these guys get shipped was just torture.

Ben you didn't need to include the poll. The answer is obvious.
- JimmyP

Not going to lie, after posting I thought "I should really say other than Ladd and take him off the list to make it more interesting."

But here we are.

Not going to lie, after posting I thought "I should really say other than Ladd and take him off the list to make it more interesting."

But here we are.
- Ben Shelley

tougher poll for sure.

Fyi.. This is what I have heard in regards to the NHL season/playoffs. It's a very good source/friend of mine who works for a team. (He has never been wrong yet).. was on conf call and this is what was talked about..

Teams will report to Mini Camp in next few weeks. By end of May for sure.. They will play rest of Season in 4 main hubs in June/July. Playoffs start in August and next season will not start to November. The NHL makes about $500 mill in playoff revs so they really don't need fans but they HAVE to have the playoffs. The Hubs are rumored to be Columbus for Northeast and St. Louis for Central. Not sure of other 2 but my guess is North b/c too hot..etc.

I agree with you guys about DP. I was never one of his haters. For a brief time, he was one of the best goalies in the NHL. You can't blame him for parlaying that into a big contract.

Milbury on the other hand was a complete idiot.........arguably even worse than Snow. He never met a trade he didn't like, no matter how dumb. Just one question, nite... Are you sure Luongo was a captain in Vancouver? I didn't think goalies could be captains.

You guys are still paying $250k a year for Kovy.. fyi. He did not get hurt.. fyi
- niteislander

Well the thing is we aren't actually still paying him anything and haven't since the time he left. It's purely a cap hit penalty which is really meaningless since we are nowhere near the cap.

I always love how everyone loves to bring up DiPietro's contract. Rick was 26 years old when he signed that deal. Most of us who had season tickets at the time assumed he would take the big $$ and leave. He would have gotten anywhere from 6-8 mill a year to play for another team. We were being run by an owner who did not want to spend over the money he would be getting by TV contracts and ticket sales rev (everything else including concessions went to SMG). So .. Rick in the prime of his career, after winning out in olympics over Miller to be USA's goalie, ALL-Star, and yes he was a VERY good Goalie for us... at 26 years old.. said I am the face of this franchise, how can you make a deal for me to stay.

well.. we can't give you 6.75 million + a year like khabibulin or Luongo just got...or even the $5.2 mill Broduer is taking.. but to keep this under $20 mill like owner wants we can give u $4.5, but we can do it from much longer term to keep you an Islander forever... will that work?

No one else would have said yes to that at his age. He chose to stay an Islander. He they had years of injury after injury. you don't expect that from a 26 year old kid. ....

no one every brings up guy who got Hurt as a bad contract other than DP. Never heard anyone talk about Flyers signing Pronger, or Leafs signing Blake, or Marc Savard... just DP.

After what Isles's fans just saw happen with JT ... I would think there would finally be an appreciation for him saying.. Nope, I will be an Islander for life. It didn't work out.. he got hurt. I still love the guy for signing that contract. Always will...
- niteislander

Locally we talked a lot about how poopty the Ryan Clowe signing was. The Horton and Clarkson signings were HUGE injury mistakes...

There is usually some very good logic that goes into a bad signing. DP is no exception. BUT the contract was such a big deal at the time I don't see how you can be surprised it gets brought up.

Fyi.. This is what I have heard in regards to the NHL season/playoffs. It's a very good source/friend of mine who works for a team. (He has never been wrong yet).. was on conf call and this is what was talked about..

Teams will report to Mini Camp in next few weeks. By end of May for sure.. They will play rest of Season in 4 main hubs in June/July. Playoffs start in August and next season will not start to November. The NHL makes about $500 mill in playoff revs so they really don't need fans but they HAVE to have the playoffs. The Hubs are rumored to be Columbus for Northeast and St. Louis for Central. Not sure of other 2 but my guess is North b/c too hot..etc.
- niteislander

I thought I read somewhere that Toronto and Vancouver had already been announced.

Fyi.. This is what I have heard in regards to the NHL season/playoffs. It's a very good source/friend of mine who works for a team. (He has never been wrong yet).. was on conf call and this is what was talked about..

Teams will report to Mini Camp in next few weeks. By end of May for sure.. They will play rest of Season in 4 main hubs in June/July. Playoffs start in August and next season will not start to November. The NHL makes about $500 mill in playoff revs so they really don't need fans but they HAVE to have the playoffs. The Hubs are rumored to be Columbus for Northeast and St. Louis for Central. Not sure of other 2 but my guess is North b/c too hot..etc.
- niteislander

I am assuming with no fans, right? It'll be interesting how they handle the families/kids situation. I'm sure the players aren't crazy about being away from them for months.

I thought I read somewhere that Toronto and Vancouver had already been announced.
- PeteM

That would certainly make sense.. colder than most.

I am assuming with no fans, right? It'll be interesting how they handle the families/kids situation. I'm sure the players aren't crazy about being away from them for months.
- NYIFan4Life

no fans .. but that might just be for season games.