Rick DiPietro's 15-Year Contract

[RichardGraham]

Hey Folks,

Does anyone else think that the New York Islander's 15-year contract for goalie Rick DiPietro is absolutely insane?

[DatsyukianDeke]

Potentially it could be the best contract ever signed in pro-sports history. The way I look at it is, Rick was the first overall pick for a reason. In 2001 he was obviously going top three, it was just wether or not Gabby or Heatley would go ahead of him.

The Islanders were complete idiots trading Luongo and Jokinen for Parrish and Kvasha but its Milbury what can you expect.

So it comes down to this, goaltending is the most important position in the league. Rick is a top notch talent and he wants to be on the Island for life.

Just think if the Thrashers or Wild locked up Heatley or Gabby for 15 years at a little over $4 mill a pop, people would be applouding them for being so gutsy.

After M-A Fleury, a healthy Kari Lehtonen and Henrik Lundqvist, Dipietro is the top young goalie in the league.

Both sides of the deal obviously take risks though. Rick is losing out on a ton of money he can make but hes garunteed a spot for life. On the other side, he could blow out his knee in the upcoming pre-season and turn into the next Blackburn.

I like the deal overall, salaries will increase, not dramatically but they will increase. The Islanders have solidified themselves a true starter for the next 15 years and pretty much on the cheap.

I think the Yashin deal is still better though. Hes gone pretty much unnoticed in NY but hes put up a point a game over his career there and lead them in the playoffs one year.

The only real drawback to both deals are that both players are untradeable, unless Dipeitro really blossums or a team really needs a #1 center and Yashin is still playing at a high level at the end of his contract.

And no, im not a Islanders fan...:p

[Alvare71]

That is crazy, How much a year is he getting.....I know my bosses complain when I get overtime...lol

[DatsyukianDeke]

That is crazy, How much a year is he getting.....I know my bosses complain when I get overtime...lol


$4.5 mill a season on average. With the way the cap is though, im sure its structured so the later years hes making less per year just incase he does decline.

Either way, if he does get completely horrible they Islanders can bench him and just take the money hit. As long as he doesn't retire he'll get all of the $67.5 mill. If he retires due to injury he gets all of it. But if hes injured the Islanders can place him on the Innactive Injured List and $4.5 mill a year wouldn't count against their cap #. If they wanted to, they could replace him with another player making $4.5 mill or less to make up for his loss.

Its pretty obvious to that Wang found some insurance company to underwrite this. He'll pay a very very high premium but nothing close to $67.5 mill if Rick decides to cash out.

[TeamBreakaway]

Smart you should say about him cashing out! His contract reads:

The contract is guaranteed that 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.

Now the way I look at it is DePietro if he stays healthy and plays to his potential will be a smart move on the Islanders side at 4.5 mil a year. If he gets injured it benefits him because he's guarenteed his full salary. If he gets hurt and has to retire due to injury it also is in his best interest. If for whatever reason DePietro decides that 5 years down the line he hates the Islanders he's screwed because they own him. Now on the other hand if he doesn't work out for them there screwed because he's there's for as long as he plays hockey!
Who know's he might replace Snow in a few years!

[DatsyukianDeke]

Smart you should say about him cashing out! His contract reads:

The contract is guaranteed that 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.

Now the way I look at it is DePietro if he stays healthy and plays to his potential will be a smart move on the Islanders side at 4.5 mil a year. If he gets injured it benefits him because he's guarenteed his full salary. If he gets hurt and has to retire due to injury it also is in his best interest. If for whatever reason DePietro decides that 5 years down the line he hates the Islanders he's screwed because they own him. Now on the other hand if he doesn't work out for them there screwed because he's there's for as long as he plays hockey!
Who know's he might replace Snow in a few years!

Actually if it got to the point of going from loving the Islanders to pure hate and a Terrel Owens circus he could technically retire, voiding the contract and play pro hockey in Russia, Sweden or where ever for a year and come back the next season. Ziggy Palffy is doing the same thing as we speak..