New York Islanders Five Fun Facts About Josh Bailey Extension

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ELMONT, NY – JUNE 10: Jose Otriz is up on Tapwrit leading to victory as Irish War Cry with Rajiv Maragh up is second in The 149th running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10, 2017 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

The $2 million Long Island Tax

We all know that Josh Bailey wanted to stay on Long Island. He was drafted by the Isles, they stuck by him when it didn’t make sense to stick with him and now it’s all paying off. Bailey didn’t want to go anywhere when it came time to renegotiate his contract.

Which certainly hurt his negotiations a little bit. We know that Bailey hasn’t always been this productive, but he is now, at least for the time being. Saying he wanted to stay was music to Garth Snow’s ears.

Based on his production Josh Bailey could have likely fetched somewhere between $6 to $7 million a year on the open market. And likely for the full seven years. You know, the Andrew Ladd treatment.

By staying on Long Island, Bailey has essentially left somewhere between $12 to $14 million on the table. I thought $15 to use the George Washington Bridge to get to Long Island was insane, but leaving that kind of money on the table to stay there seems certifiable nuts.

It’s not that I fault Bailey for taking $5 million a year and staying in a familiar market. His kids are born on the Island. He’s made a home there and he knows the ins-and-outs of the organization. Why go to free agency where, frankly, that type of money might not be as forthright as we thought?

Injury, a dip in form, hockey-related revenues aren’t as strong so the cap doesn’t inflate. There are a bunch of factors at play. Again, I don’t fault him. But man-oh-man that’s a lot of money left on the table when you think about it. All for the love of Long Island.