New York Islanders Vegas Will Take Bad Contracts

The New York Islanders have a few bad deals on the books, but would you trade a first round to the Vegas Golden Knights so they take one in the expansion draft?

After the NHL Draft Lottery the New York Islanders kept their 15th overall pick in this years NHL Entry Draft. It was no suprise. Finishing as the best of the teams to not make the playoffs with 94 points, they had the worst odds at just over 1% to get a top three pick.

So if you’re Garth Snow and you want the Vegas Golden Knights to take one of your bad deals, do you send that pick their way so they take them instead of, say, Calvin de Haan?

According to Pierre LeBrun, Vegas is ok with taking a bad contract, but they want to be compensated well for doing said NHL team a solid:

So what are some of the Isles “bad” deals? And what makes them “bad”? And would a first round pick Vegas’ way be good compensation for taking said player? (All cap details were taken from the New York Islanders Cap Friendly page).

New York Islanders

It’s Bad, M’Kay

Mikhail Grabovski and his $5 million deal is the first that comes to mind. Mainly because he’s injured and can’t play a game. So $5 million with no return is a terrible deal. Even when fit his 25 points are hardly worth that level of compensation.

But being injured and not having played a single game last season the Isles can’t get Vegas to take him. And keeping him for a potential move to LTIR this is probably the best course of action.

What about Nikolai Kulemin? With a $4.187 cap hit he isn’t worth the money either. His 23 points are a far cry from his 57 scored with Toronto back in 2010-11. But a first overall pick to take a player the Isles clearly like to use in their bottom six? You’d have to think that Vegas doesn’t have him earmarked as an expansion draft pluck anyways.

How about the likes of either Cal Clutterbuck or Casey Cizikas? Both fourth line players, both recently signed to long-term deals worth $3.5 million and $3.25 million respectively. Those are some bad deals…depending on who you talk to.

You and I might think they’re bad deals, but the man who gave those deals, Garth Snow, is still GM and he clearly doesn’t agree. So forget him sending a pick so that Vegas can take either off his hands.

What about Johnny Boychuk or Andrew Ladd? Both have massive deals paying $6 million till 2021-22 in Boychuk’s case, and $5.5 million till 2022-23 for Ladd. Both are already on the wrong side of 30 and neither is really putting up the points to justify the price tag.

Oh, and they both have no trade clause, so Vegas couldn’t take them even if they wanted to.

Next: Mock Expansion Draft

If anything the New York Islanders are going to have to pay the Vegas Golden Knights to look the other way on players they want to keep but can’t protect, like Ryan Pulock. And not so George McPhee can inherit any of the Isles mistakes.