[ThePundit]

According to Newsday, the Islanders have signed Rick DiPietro to a 15 year, $67.5 million dollar deal that will pay him $4.5 million in each year. This is the second longest contract in professional sports history behind Magic Johnson's 25 year contract with the Lakers...

If you look at it, $4.5 million per year isn't obscene at all. He's 25 years old now so hopefully he'll still be good at 40. I just hope he continues to be as good as he was in the 2nd half last year.

[Lefty Noob]

Now THAT is how you lock up your talented young players long-term. Good job, Isles!

[mervinout]

i woke up and saw this on the espn sports bar, and was wtf. good move by the isles he is one of the best goalies in the leauge. does any know how much of it is guarenteed?

[blueandwhite]

Am I the only one who thinks that's insane? 15 years? 15 years?!?! what are they doing? No one can predict someone's career for the next 15 years. why get into a commitment like that?

[MJHMarc]

He might get injured and suck their money up like a vacuum.

He has a future of being one of the NHL's best goalies but I think he makes too many careless errors leaving the net wide open.

[mervinout]

he plays that way wen his defense leaves him getting 50 shots a game. if the defense can play defense he wont make those errors

[MJHMarc]

So what is your solution, mervinout?

[mervinout]

i belive they got some good defensemen, not a big fan of poti but the others, i think they will be fine with the others they got brendan witt and the other guy they got from the caps. My question is, how much of this is guarenteed. because remember the jets signed ty law to a 5 or so year deal but got rid of him after one

[MJHMarc]

That is because Ty Law stunk more than a skunk.

[Gotham Dark Knight]

Originally Posted by blueandwhite

Am I the only one who thinks that's insane? 15 years? 15 years?!?! what are they doing? No one can predict someone's career for the next 15 years. why get into a commitment like that?

Ditto...15 years is a long time...I bet he don't serve the time with the Islanders...is it all guaranted?

And is he really worth it?...I remember him in the Olympics...he was not a sixty million dollar man.

[blueandwhite]

Another good point brought up in the paper today, what team wants that kind of contract? they are STUCK with Dipietro, even if he starts to smell like a theodore or a Bourrasso - which is more likely than growing a Roy or a Brodeur - no team is going to buy that contract out.
oh and Peca says Wang once offered him a 9 year contract. Guess he said no.

[ThePundit]

All the money is guaranteed. But I honestly don't think it's that bad a deal. 10 years from now, $4.5 million will be a drop in the bucket. It's not the money or the lenght that concerns me.

The thing that worries me about DiPietro is that he's bascially had only one-half of a good season ( Last year -2nd half after the Olympics). Before that, he was having a lot of trouble stopping the puck on a night to night basis. So if he lives up to his potential, it's a good deal. If he doesn't, then the Islanders are really stuck.

They only have 2 returning defnsemen from last year - Radek Martinek and Alexi Zhitnick so I have no idea how good or bad they're going to be.

I give Wang this: He does what he wants and doesn't care what people say.

[MJHMarc]

(CP) This time the New York Islanders settled for a one-year deal.

A day after handing goalie Rick DiPietro a record US$67.5-million, 15-year contract, the Isles handed unrestricted free agent Viktor Kozlov an $865,000, one-year contract.

The 6-5, 230-pound Russian centre had 12 goals and 13 assists in 69 games with the New Jersey Devils last season. He also went eight for 12 in the shootout.

"Viktor brings a lot to the table," said Islanders GM Garth Snow. "He can be a centre or wing on any of our top three lines and be solid in all zones. This is an excellent addition for our team as we head into training camp."

The 31-year-old Kozlov has 144 goals and 247 assists in 668 NHL regular-season games with San Jose, Florida and New Jersey.

The Islanders also announced that veteran goalie Mike Dunham and winger Richard Park -- both unrestricted free agents-- will attend training camp on a tryout basis.

Good deal? I would say so!

[EmpireWF]

What an insanely idiotic move by Isles management. A 5, 6, 7 year deal couldn't suffice?

[MJHMarc]

They want to try him out for a year.

Consider this a free-trial before they make a major investment into Kozlov.

Who is responsible for this nonsense in the front office? Garth Snow.