The New York Islanders have started the process of buying out the long-term contract of goaltender Rick DiPietro.
Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . The Islanders placed the 31-year-old netminder on waivers on Tuesday in order to use a compliance buyout on the final
eight years of his 15-year deal. DiPietro is still owed $36 million on the
remainder of his $67.5 million deal that has an average annual value of $4.5
million. The Lewiston, Maine native only played in three games for the Islanders
in 2012/13 before being placed on waivers and sent down to the American Hockey
Leagues Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Since the 2008/09 season, DiPietro has only
appeared in 50 games for the Islanders, as he has battled through numerous
injuries and inconsistency. Originally selected first overall in the 2000 NHL
Entry Draft by the Islanders, DiPietro has played in 318 NHL games with the
franchise and has a 130-136-36 record and a career 2.87 goals against average.
The Islanders stunned the hockey world in September of 2006 when owner Charles
Wang and general manager Garth Snow signed DiPietro to the 15-year contract. The
deal is the longest in NHL history, at the time surpassing the 10-year $87.5
million deal the Islanders gave to forward Alexei Yashin in 2001. The contract
was set to expire after the 2020/21 season.
Wholesale Jerseys Group . According to Yahoo! Sports, the team has reached a five-year deal to play their home games on the roof of the Plaza Hotel and
Casino.
Wholesale Jerseys China .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the
Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness.TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays
couldnt resist adding Grant Balfour to solidify the back end of their bullpen,
giving the closer a $12 million, two-year contract Thursday about a month after
his $15 million agreement with Baltimore fell through. The Orioles said they had
concerns with his physical. Balfour proclaimed hes healthy and looking forward
to helping Tampa Bay get back to the playoffs. "Im 100 per cent healthy,"
Balfour said, adding he had more lucrative offers from other teams but was eager
to play for a perennial contender and return to the Tampa Bay area, where he
still resides after spending time with the Rays from 2007-10. "Ive had an
eventful off-season to say the least," he said. "Its always been a place on my
radar. Ill be honest, I never wanted to leave here." Rays principal owner Stuart
Sternberg made the announcement at a news conference held following a team
sponsorship event at the Tampa Museum of Art. He called it a significant move
for the budget-minded Rays, who have made the playoffs four times in the past
six seasons despite one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Sternberg noted the
team did not enter the off-season expecting to be in a position to pursue the
36-year-old, who was 62 for 67 in save opportunities the past two seasons with
the Oakland Athletics. ";Weve have had some exceptional teams," Sternberg said,
explaining the decision to spend above the teams projected payroll.
Wholesale Jerseys. "We want to give this organization the best chance to win, and we know its going to cost us more than we can afford to pay." In his first
stint with the Rays, Balfour was part of an improbable run to the 2008 World
Series, where Tampa Bay lost to Philadelphia in six games. Sternberg called him
a "known quantity" for the Rays. Manager Joe Maddon added the signing will make
an already impressive bullpen even more formidable. "He wants to go back to the
World Series," Maddon said. "So do we, so do I." Balfour was a first-time
All-Star in 2013, when he had a 1.63 ERA while going 25 for 25 in save
opportunities the first half of the season. The right-handers 383 appearances,
380 1-3 innings and 410 strikeouts over the past six years are the second-most
among AL relievers. Hes first Australian-born pitcher to make an All-Star team
and has been a part of five teams that made the playoffs, including two with
Tampa Bay. "I want to win a World Series," he said. "We got really close here in
2008, and Im really hoping here in the next two years, or whatever it is I get
to play here, that I can win one it would be awesome."
Wholesale Jerseys China ' ' '
