Time is up for Rick DiPietro.
The oft-injured Islanders goalie who signed a 15-year, $67.5 million contract in 2006 has been bought out by the team that drafted him as the first overall pick. The team will now pay DiPietro $1.5 million annually until 2029. The money will not be counted toward the salary cap.
Some fans are happy to see DiPietro leave, while others say it's bittersweet. "He had a promising career that didn't quite pan out the way I think Islanders fans thought it would," says longtime fan Tony Sarlo, of Lynbrook.
The move still leaves the Islanders in need of a goalie, especially since Evgeni Nabokov seems unlikely to re-sign ahead of next season.