Empire Writes Back
Fansided

New York Islanders: 5 Players Who Shouldn’t Be On the Team Next Season

By Nick Ziegler

Apr 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Islanders left wing Nikolay Kulemin (86) is congratulated after he scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Islanders left wing Nikolay Kulemin (86) is congratulated after he scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
New York Islanders
Apr 30, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Islanders left wing Nikolay Kulemin (86) is congratulated by center Ryan Strome (18) and center Alan Quine (10) after he scored a goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period of game two of the second round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Nikolay Kulemin

One of the Islanders’ bigger signings prior to the start of the 14-15 season was the signing of Nikolay Kulemin. After some good seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kulemin was signed to a pretty good sized contract by the Islanders, as he is making just north of $4 million per season.

Last season, Kulemin played well for the Islanders, as he totaled 15 goals, 16 assists, and was good on the penalty kill with three shorthanded goals. The 31 total points for Kulemin was a pretty solid number given what he was making.

This season, however, Kulemin didn’t play all that well for the Islanders. In the 15-16 season, Kulemin totaled just 22 points, as he totaled the second fewest amount of points in his career. While many fans want to run Josh Bailey out of town, he totaled 10 more points than Kulemin and made a million dollars less doing so.

With having money being a priority this offseason, trying to shed the $4 million that Kulemin is making per season would be a pretty solid way to go about that. At his current price tag, the Islanders need more production like they saw from Kulemin in the 14-15 season.

Next: Second-Highest Paid Forward

Home/New York Islanders