smazza Posted September 14, 2006 Group: Member Topic Count: 9,898 Content Count: 66,091 Reputation: 2,434 Days Won: 172 Joined: 01/01/2001 Share Posted September 14, 2006 what do you thinkDiPietro an Islander for lifeSeptember 12, 2006 Rick DiPietro is looking into his future... he sees security, and a lot ofdollar signs. (AP) RelatedVideo:Kypreos analysis: Lots of benefits to DiPietro's dealMcCormick blog:What will the future bring?Player info:Rick DiPietro player page Sportsnet.ca NewsMats the man for Maurice Captain Keith calls it quits Raycroft loves life in T.O. 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(AP) -- The New York Islanders have become the NHL's version of a three-ring circus -- and the spotlight keeps shining on the guys in net."I guess it's pretty beneficial to be a goaltender on Long Island right now," Rick DiPietro said Tuesday, moments after signing the longest playing contract in NHL history.One week shy of his 25th birthday, the brash netminder from New England grabbed a pen and confidently inked his name to a 15-year deal that will pay him US$4.5 million each season until 2021, totalling $67.5 million."Well, 15 years seems like a long time," he said before a deep sigh. "It is a long time."Standing next to him was Garth Snow, his 37-year-old former teammate and backup, who hung up his skates earlier this summer the same day he took over as Islanders general manager. If that was strange enough, he was replacing Neil Smith, who had been on the job a little more than a month.Snow's biggest priority suddenly became negotiating the deal to keep the Islanders' most popular player in the fold until he's nearly 40."At first it was a little awkward," DiPietro said.And so it goes for the Islanders, who always seem to make more news and noise during the off-season than in winter."This is not a big deal," owner Charles Wang said. "You have to have a commitment to who you're working with. I've done this all my business career. Now I'm doing it in sports and everybody is like, 'Oh my God. How could he do that?"'He's been hearing that a lot. The Islanders missed the playoffs and then led the league in summer news conferences.Since they last played, the Islanders have hired a coach (Ted Nolan) who was out of the league since being dismissed by Buffalo in 1997; a GM (Smith), in NHL exile since he was fired by the Rangers in 2000; and then his replacement (Snow), who was set to play another season.DiPietro's landmark deal topped the one given to enigmatic teammate Alexei Yashin in 2001, a 10-year, $87.5 million contract that sent NHL salaries soaring and led to the cap that ended last year's lockout.It also saddled New York with a player who is nearly impossible to move and takes up a big chunk of the team's $44 million maximum payroll."We have to do it together," said Yashin, one of several Islanders at the news conference. "The contract is the contract, and we have to keep focus on the game now."But with the Islanders, the focus is often elsewhere. Wang acknowledged that some people might think he's "crazy," yet he is undeterred.DiPietro's deal is believed to be second only in length in North American sports to the 25-year pact Magic Johnson signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981."Clubs are free to make their own decisions" within the rules, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. "Time will tell whether this will be a good decision or a bad one for the Islanders."And for DiPietro.The Islanders will save money at the front end and won't have to worry about DiPietro becoming an unrestricted free agent down the road. DiPietro risks losing a future big payday, but he isn't looking at it that way."I hope at some point I'm underpaid," DiPietro said. "That means I'm playing really well and becoming an elite goaltender."The contract is guaranteed. DiPietro will be paid in full should he retire because of injury; if he ends his career otherwise before the deal expires, he would forfeit the remaining dollars.He will be the eighth highest-paid goalie in the NHL. Chicago's Nikolai Khabibulin and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo top the list at $6.75 million.DiPietro was 30-24-5 with a 3.02 goals-against average in 63 games last season. He is 58-62-13 with a 2.85 GAA in 143 NHL games."I don't really think that player salaries are going to go up that much more to be honest. I mean, how much higher can they go?" DiPietro said.DiPietro and Wang talked about a 15-year deal last summer when DiPietro expressed he wanted to spend his entire career with the Islanders, who made the Boston University freshman the first goalie chosen with the No. 1 pick in the 200 draft.But hurdles regarding insurance of the contract killed those plans, and they agreed to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.Both sides were pressed to come to a new agreement quickly as the Islanders open training camp this week in Nova Scotia. Wang has a policy that players who aren't signed in time for camp won't play during the season."I wasn't worried about it," DiPietro said. "I knew that things would take care of themselves. They did, and we're happy." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdgukhsdgl Posted September 14, 2006 Group: Member Topic Count: 287 Content Count: 3,078 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 10/18/2002 Share Posted September 14, 2006 terrible, TERRIBLE idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWMJD Posted September 15, 2006 Group: Member Topic Count: 93 Content Count: 3,048 Reputation: 316 Days Won: 6 Joined: 11/24/2005 Share Posted September 15, 2006 No worse than Yashin's 10 year, 87.5 million dollar deal all those years ago. Just another way to cement the Islanders at the bottom of the standings for years to come. No wonder they can't hold on to quality management. The owner is f$&@ed in the head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman_Momart Posted September 15, 2006 Group: Member Topic Count: 70 Content Count: 1,911 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 12/14/2005 Share Posted September 15, 2006 Wang is completely messed up in the head. First, letting garth snow retire and take over as manager when about 2 weeks earlier you hired one of the most proven gms in the league. Then doing this!?!?!?!?! The guy is developing skyscrapers in Uniondale and Hempstead Long Island , where if you ever traveled to Hofstra for a usf game or whatever reason, its a complete dump. Guy has entirely too much money and has no idea what to do with it. Totoally off the wall.It seems like centuries when the Isles were the great dynasty they were in the early 80s, 4 championships in a row and one of the most memorable teams of all time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South_Florida_Flip Posted September 15, 2006 Group: Member Topic Count: 99 Content Count: 10,565 Reputation: 93 Days Won: 7 Joined: 05/14/2005 Share Posted September 15, 2006 No worse than Yashin's 10 year, 87.5 million dollar deal all those years ago. Just another way to cement the Islanders at the bottom of the standings for years to come. No wonder they can't hold on to quality management. The owner is f$&@ed in the head.Much worse since they saw what Yashin has done for them since signing that deal. DiPietro is a fool for signing it since he could have made some more money when his time came as a unrestricted free agent during the prime of his career. Guess he can just coast along now with all the security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple B Posted September 15, 2006 Group: Moderator Topic Count: 1,615 Content Count: 74,712 Reputation: 10,930 Days Won: 424 Joined: 11/25/2005 Share Posted September 15, 2006 DiPietro's deal is believed to be second only in length in North American sports to the 25-year pact Magic Johnson signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981.Hey, this means Magic is a free agent after this year ...... Maybe the Knicks will pick him up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest R_to_the_izzo Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 I think Dipeitro is a few years from being in his prime, and hey if he never gets there he can't complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smazza Posted September 17, 2006 Group: Member Topic Count: 9,898 Content Count: 66,091 Reputation: 2,434 Days Won: 172 Joined: 01/01/2001 Author Share Posted September 17, 2006 No worse than Yashin's 10 year, 87.5 million dollar deal all those years ago.  Just another way to cement the Islanders at the bottom of the standings for years to come.  No wonder they can't hold on to quality management.  The owner is f$&@ed in the head.Much worse since they saw what Yashin has done for them since signing that deal. DiPietro is a fool for signing it since he could have made some more money when his time came as a unrestricted free agent during the prime of his career. Guess he can just coast along now with all the security.he would have been a fool not to sign it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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