The disastrous Islanders career of Rick DiPietro is finally over, according to reports, as the team is officially releasing the much-maligned goalkeeper to the delight of legions of Nassau fans.
DiPietro, an Islander since the year 2000, was once a top-flight goalie in the NHL, and he was rewarded for that status with a 15-year, $67.5 million contract from general manager Garth Snow in 2006.
Not even a full season into his lengthy pact, injuries began to erode DiPietro's ability, and kept him off the ice more than he was on it. From 2008 to 2013, DiPietro appeared in a total of 50 games. Entering this past lockout-shortened season, he was Evgeni Nabokov's backup, but was so ineffective when given opportunities that he was demoted to the minor leagues. In three games, he surrendered 12 goals.
Now, he's receiving what is called a compliance buyout, according to Newsday, which means the team is responsible to pay him $1.5 million over the next 16 years, but it will not count toward their salary cap, which is a welcome relief.
Regarding DiPietro's release, Snow said, "It is an extremely tough decision to use the compliance buyout on Rick's contract. His drive to win games and compete at the highest level for the New York Islanders was never questioned. With Rick back at 100 percent health, we wish him nothing but the best as he continues to pursue his career."
As draft night neared, Snow was trying to peddle DiPietro's deal in exchange for a useful player, hoping another team would want to take on the big contract and buy it out to clear cap space. No other teams took the bait, however, and the Islanders were forced to just buy him out themselves.
There is no word yet on whether any teams are interested in signing DiPietro as a free agent, or if he plans to continue playing.
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