Confirmed Signing with Link: [NYI] Andrew Ladd (7 years, $5.500M AAV)

[Seph]

It's almost like GM's totally don't learn their lessons from previous terrible contracts. Which makes sense when a GM is trying to save his job, but there's a lot of future buy-outs that are happening today.

I think most GMs know full well that these will likely look bad on the tail end, but are willing to deal with that in order to get quality players without having to move assets.

 

[Iceman]

Islanders surely doesn't want FA's to sign with the Rags.

 

[The Underboss]

Nice!

 

[hawksrule]

I like neither the term nor the $$$. He's a bit overrated.

 

[Shakey Rustie]

I like neither the term nor the $$$. He's a bit overrated.

And has a declining skill set.

 

[McKenza]

is he a better player then Nielsen is it worth the half million an one year extra he got or would they have been better off jus signing frans

 

[Intangiblezz]

Honestly think he is a great fit with Tavares.

Cap hit is not an issue at all but the last 2 years of his contract might be a little rough.

 

[oStealthKiller*]

Ladd was a different player this year, and not in a good way. I don't like isle fans but I hope this works out for the team, they deserve at least a cup final from their mega rebuild.

 

[Isles Junkie]

I like ladd, but this is pretty damn absurd.

 

[GordieHoweHatTrick]

The fact that Backes is getting more is laughable.

Nice addition, grats Isles fans.

 

[IslesBro715]

Good cap hit, too long of term, but thats free agency these days

 

[Bologna 1]

Don't like it. Not big on Ladd, I just think he's on the way downward.

 

[hirawl]

Absolute madness. I mean really. Madness.

 

[Frederixx]

5.5M/per is good for Ladd, but 7 years?

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

5.5M/per is good for Ladd, but 7 years?

3 years too long if you ask me, thats July 1st.

 

[thekernel]

Huh, well, there's the Okposo replacement.

 

[Jester9881]

The people reading the Islanders obituary in July, are usually the same people calling their season a fluke in May.

Good luck to Okposo and Nielsen. Ladd replaces Okposos production at a lower caphit, brings more than one aspect to his game and might actually gel with Tavares.

Nielsen has been a good soldier, but many believe Cizikas can step in and replace him on the PK and as a checking center at much lower cost with many more miles left on him.

The additions and Chimera and Ladd, replace the offensive production we lost in Frans/Kyle. The defense and goal are already set and there's a metric **** ton of youth knocking on the door.

 

[hirawl]

The people reading the Islanders obituary in July, are usually the same people calling their season a fluke in May.

Good luck to Okposo and Nielsen. Ladd replaces Okposos production at a lower caphit, brings more than one aspect to his game and might actually gel with Tavares.

Nielsen has been a good soldier, but many believe Cizikas can step in and replace him on the PK and as a checking center at much lower cost with many more miles left on him.

The additions and Chimera and Ladd, replace the offensive production we lost in Frans/Kyle. The defense and goal are already set and there's a metric **** ton of youth knocking on the door.

They won't replace 2/3 of it. Probably not even half of it.

 

[GoodKiwi]

Worst contract of the day IMO.

 

[scott99]

I like Andrew Ladd, I like his type of play but I have to ask why not Okposo? He's 3 years younger and gives you the same type of play, I don't get that but I like Andrew Ladd, he's a solid 2 way player.

Actually Ladd gives you grit and leadership. Okposo, not so much.

Also, most FA ratings had Ladd as the 5th best forward available, Okposo #2 and Nielsen #9. So the #5 FA forward got what usual 5th best forward usually gets.

I'm not worried about the term, I think the Islanders will get 5 good years out of him. He's averaged 24.5 goals per season the last 5 seasons (per 82 games). He didn't play on a line with John Tavares. He will get 20+ goals a year, add grit and leadership. The grit and leadership were sorely missing from this team. They were a very soft team.

 

[Islanders1932]

Worst of the day, I think. Why don't gms understand that players decline at 32 on average?

Tell that to players like Jagr and Chimera

 

[Hip Of Rick*]

The worst GM in hockey strikes again

 

[dlawong]

I think it has less to do with the injuries and more to do with the fact that he's an extremely streaky player. He'll have a stretch of five great games where he's on fire and then disappear for 15 games. And he also never developed into the big power forward who uses his body.

KO is good offensively but is a liability defensively and I think if he goes to Buffalo to play with ROR he will be better off because ROR can compensate for his weak defensive IQ in his own zone. He and JT does not work out because JT is not great in his own zone either although he has improved in past 2 years. Ladd may help in that are because he is good both ways.

I can't deny that I am really disappointing about Nielsen leaving though because he plays so many vital roles on this team but I guess Isles is hoping that Cizikas can step up and play bigger role and fill that void Nielsen left.

Snow did this signing because most GM worry about their job now instead of down the road. If Isles fail to make playoff or play terribly in the playoff next two years, they may lose JT as an UFA in 2018 and he will definitely get fired if that happens. GM does not care about long term job, they want to keep their job now. It is the fans who care about the terms.

I do not think Isles is done. They will do more to improve their RW position either through another UFA signing or more likely through a trade before training camp opens.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

$5.5 is not bad on the FA market.

7 years though. Yikes

 

[Sweech]

I like Ladd more than most and think he can age well in the league.

That is a lot of term though, much more than I would have been comfortable with the Jets giving him.