Islanders: Four year deal for Ryan Suter is a deal breaker

The New York Islanders continue to look for a Nick Leddy replacement who was traded away. One of the targets to replace the puck-mover who’s gone to Detroit was former Minnesota Wild defenseman, Ryan Suter.

But with so many suitors for Suter, it seems like he’ll be able to get the deal he wants. And what he wants, it seems, is long-term stability with a multi-year offer. That’s just can’t happen for the Islanders.

Signing Ryan Suter long-term is a dealbreaker for New York Islanders

According to Andy Strickland, Suter is looking for a multi-year offer and could sign a four-year deal with his new team. Four! Remember, Suter is 36-years-old and will turn 37 on January 21st. While I’m sure he’s still in great shape, but that’s just too long of an investment for someone of his age.

There’s a reason that players who are 35+ are eligible for performance bonuses, at their age they might not hit those markers.

Signing Ryan Suter long-term might work, but that’s a plan filled with potential pitfall and peril. Even if the cap hit is relatively low (which might not be considering the market for him is large).

Suter had a down year last season. Now, that could very well be nothing more than a coincidence, but it could also be a sign of something else. I’ve gone on record saying that I’d like the Islanders to sign Ryan Suter. And I stick by that. But that was a two-year deal, max.

I’m sure Suter still has something to offer. He could be a good bottom four option for any NHL team. His 52.74 xGF% at 5on5 was the 25th best mark in the NHL for defensemen with 900+ minutes. But committing to him for four years is just way too long.

Locking him up long-term is a bad idea for the New York Islanders. If it’s going to take a four-year commitment to sign him, Lou should walk away.