As the action was frantic on Wednesday evening in the NHL, some off-ice news crossed the desks of the analysts covering all the games. The New York Islanders, who didn’t have a game, got some internal housekeeping done, signing defenseman Ryan Pulock to a massive, but good value eight-year extension.
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With the deal, Pulock will avoid free agency at the end of this season and he’ll be well paid for committing to the Islanders organization. The deal is reportedly worth just under $50 million (around $6.2 million per season). TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to break the news with Elliotte Friedman also announcing the contract during the intermission of the Edmonton Oilers versus Vancouver Canucks game.
Pulock will get a slight bump in his AAV, but actually take a small salary pay cut with this deal. The term is the key here as he gets eight years. It was those extra years that likely brought the annual average salary down.
He is considered a high-end top pairing two-way defenceman, with excellent puck-moving skill. He’s right at home on the Islanders’ top pair and when you consider Adam Pelech is locked in long-term with the team for $5.75 million per season, the team is set for some time. That’s $12 million combined for those two players which a lot of fans are calling an absolute steal.
The contract extension includes a no-trade clause for the first five years, but it becomes a limited no-trade clause until the contract expires in 2030. Should his game regress in the later years of the deal, it does give the Islanders some room to maneuver.
In nearly 290 games played for the Islanders, he has 125 points including 33 goals.
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