New York Islanders can get rid of Andrew Ladd with free compliance buyout
By Ed Stein
Bye Bye time
Enter the compliance buyout. The New York Islanders can finally rid themselves of a player they literally couldn’t give away. Someone who has been stuck to them like gum on the bottom of your shoe that you accidentally stepped on and no matter what won’t come off. Andrew Ladd is that piece of gum.
When the two-time Stanley Cup winner was signed to a seven-year, $38.5M free agent contract in July of 2016, there were questions. For example, was it wise to give a seven-year, front-loaded contract to a 31-year-old, who was rarely a top-line player in his NHL career? The Islanders found out the hard way that answer was a resounding no.
Since joining the team, Ladd has been besieged by injuries and ineffectiveness. In 188 games with the New York Islanders, he has 72 points. That works out to 0.398 points per game. Far below the 0.697 points per game, he averaged in his 11 NHL seasons before joining the team.
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Ladd’s contract has become an albatross around the neck of New York’s payroll. Buying him out cuts his cap hip hit of $5.5M from the books in each of the next three seasons. In actuality, the team owes him only $12M cash for the balance of his deal. It would be a huge win for the organization to finally be rid of Ladd.
One other player who might be considered for a buyout is 36-year-old defenseman Johnny Boychuk. Although still productive, he counts for $6M against the cap for two more seasons. The New York Islanders only owe him $8M on the balance of his contract. Depending on how tight the money is, Boychuck could be a better financial option. It would be a shame to see him go out like that when he still has some premium gas left in the tank.
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If they get a free buyout, which New York Islanders player do you think should go? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.