Rick DiPietro signed to a 15 year contract with the Islanders.

[Telly Savalas]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=177298&hubname=

15 years. That's a really long time.

[Ravenseye]

1. Stupid. Dumb. Insane.

4.5 million a year for 15 years, to a 25 year old restricted free agent....Dumb

I'm sorry he's not even that good. I mean he's not Khabibulin or the second coming of Patrick Roy, and even if he WAS, it'd be insane. If he gets injured next year, pulls a groin or something really bad, and never plays that well again...they're stuck paying him 4.5 million a year for the next 15 years. These contracts don't have outs for injuries like the NFL. They WILL be paying him that money and it WILL count against their salary cap.

Honestly, I think 5 year contracts are pushing it in general, but this? Just nuts. Great for Rick DiPietro, sucks for the rest of us. It'll make player agents more aggressive for longer term deals which will affect other teams. It'll hurt more teams than the Islanders in the long run.

Actually it's kind of stupid for him as well. What if he becomes the greatest goalie ever (not gonna happen, but what if?) and the salary cap goes up, and in 15 years his backup is making more than he is? He's locking himself in at such a low figure looking a decade down the road. What if he leads the Islanders to 4 more cups in a row primarily because of his outstanding play?

Unbelievable.

And don't get me started on Clarke tendering an offer sheet to the Canuck player...fucking Flyers...thanks for fucking the rest of us over as well.

[northzax]

2. eh, guaranteed 67.5 million?

he'd be an idiot not to sign it. What Wang is thinking is another thing entirely.

[Ravenseye]

3. No you're right

Though I'd be curious in 15 years to track a simliar 25 year old goaltender now who doesn't get a monster contract to see what they get over the next decade and a half.

Still he signed his name and gauranteed himself a job for the next 15 years no matter what, which will leave him at the end of it, at age 40 with enough money to live the high life for the remainder of his days. Of course he would have been stupid to sign it. He's golden now. Never has to worry again about money.

It's just totally stupid for the Islanders to even consider offering that money. He can't just retire for no reason tommorow and keep the money, if he leaves for his own reasons, the money is done. yet if he has a career ending injury in training camp, he still gets paid all of it. Dumb Dumb Dumb.

And I though the Penguins were stupid to sign Gonchar to 5 years...This is monumentally dumb for the organization.