New York Islanders Depth Scoring In Major Slump

Cal Clutterbuck: 8 goals, 9 assists, 17 points. Has gone 21 games without a goal

Cal Clutterbuck received a five-year extension in December of 2016. The deal was for five years and $17.5 million giving Clutterbuck a cap hit of $3.5 million each of the next five seasons. The extension was given after Clutter was coming off a year in which he scored 15 goals in 2015-2016. He has yet to get anywhere close to that point again over the next two years.

Last year, he netted just 5 goals on the season. Sure, he only played in 66 games but a 20 point season where Clutterbuck gives you little to no scoring wasn’t what they were expecting.

So far in the first year of his shiny new deal, Clutterbuck has just 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists). That puts him on a pace of 21 points (10 goals, 11 assists) if he plays each game the rest of the way.

Frankly, that isn’t worth $3.5 million a year. Plus he’s no longer the same physical presence he once was. In 2014-2015 he had 343 hits. The next year he had 288 and he followed that up with 222 last year. He has 197 hits so far this year and is on pace for 253 at this rate which would be a 90 hit decrease in a span of 3 years.

If he isn’t going to be that wrecking ball or give you anything offensively you should buy him out and cut your losses. This contract is looking like a real disaster as well.

Next: Islanders Embarrassingly Lose 5th In A Row

The Islanders could’ve used these three guys to step up and be a productive role player on this team but instead, they’re an anchor holding this team back. That’s why the Islanders have had so many problems with their third and fourth lines.