New York Islanders Five Players Not Playing Their Payroll

Josh Bailey

Cap: $3.3 million, Two Years Remaining

Bailey is actually producing at a better rate than he’s used to. He has marginally less goals then he should at this point, but he has more points, is getting more shots on target and is enjoying a better shooting percentage. So why the heck is he included here?

I wanted to make a point of the John Tavares effect. Of just what happens to a player when he plays alongside one of the best players in the game.Take bailey off Tavares’ wing and watch these numbers plummet.

According to stats.hockeyanalysis.com four of Bailey’s six points accumulated on 5-on-5 where with Tavares. His Corsi-For percentage with Tavares is 48.5 and 34.5 when away.

When not alongside Tavares, Bailey is demonstrably worse then you consider his $3.3 million dollar cap hit over the next two season and you think: “Why did the Isles pay him that much?”

He’d been in the NHL for five years at that point and was producing at a rate of 30 points a season. Locking up a former 9th overall pick for $3.3 million over five years seemed like a fair deal.

But now with two years left on the deal, it’s hard to make a case that he’s worth the same money again? Maybe the Casey Cizikas contract changes that a bit, but Bailey seems like the shadow of the promises we heard when he was drafted.

Now he’s staple gunned to our best players wing and dragging him down too.