On Wednesday October 12th, the New York Islanders left practice with familiar worries and emotions when goaltender Rick DiPietro suffered yet another injury. He suffered a concussion when he took a shot off the mask by veteran forward Brian Rolston in the team’s practice. The shot left the old-school mask dented, but the ever-so injury prone goaltender concussed, and out for indefinite amount of time.
“It is what it is,” DiPietro said. “It happened. I’m just going to follow the steps to get back.”
There will be plenty of steps in the NHL’s improved concussion regulations, but DiPietro has remained upbeat and positive as usual.
“Every day has been better,” he said. “I’m just listening to what the doctors have to say. There is so much more that goes into (precautions with concussions) now as opposed to years past... so there is an advanced protocol you have to follow.”
“On the bright side, the puck didn’t go into the net so it counts as a save.” DiPietro jabeed. “ I just have to shake it off and keep a positive outlook.”
His positive outlook is commendable. DiPietro is a class act and a proven National Hockey League goaltender, but his time out has been costly for the organization over the past four years. The 30 year-old appeared for 26 games with eh Islanders last year, after having only played a total of seventeen games through the previous three years with various injuries. Beyond his two concussions, hip surgically repaired hip, his groin, (his) left and right knee which have been operated on multiple times, and facial injuries have accounted for a very heart-breaking storyline of the Winthrop, Massachusetts native.
“It is frustrating,” DiPietro said. “I guess, in the end, you just have to tell yourself that the payoff is always going to be better than what it is now. You have to keep pushing.”
Rick DiPietro, who was drafted by the New York Islanders 1st overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, has been pushing. His numbers when healthy are excellent, and his speed is nearly unrivaled. In 307 NHL games with the Islanders he is 127-131-25 with a .903 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average and 16 shutouts. DiPietro is the building block for the organization, and the walls have been crumbling around them.
“That’s the most frustrating part; I felt that my body, as far as my knees, I felt great. I felt like my game was where it needed to be. It was just getting sharp and working on things to make sure I was ready when I got the call. To have this happen, it’s kind of sucks.”
DiPietro’s injury spree began in the third and fourth year of high mega contract of 15 years back in September of 2006. The deal shocked the hockey world, and the unfortunate amount of time has changed goaltending plans in terms of commitment long-term, and salary peaks by teams league-wide.
DiPietro is doing well financially as he brings home the second highest salary amongst all Islanders players at $4.5 million for every single year of the deal that takes him through 2020-2021. The deal seamed fit for one of the League’s top rated goaltenders, but the casualties of war have put a very different spin on how goaltender’s contracts are negotiated.
As DiPietro heads to injured reserve, the Islanders are dealt with the ever daunting theory behind buying him out, or riding out his lengthy commitments to the team. The spent cap money of the cash-strapped Islanders has hindered their ability to better the team as a whole on the ice, but taken from another vantage point the circumstances may just be helping the team out.
Not in a literal sense, as everyone who loves hockey would love to see him overcome and be one the ice, but in a financial stance it does work in the business world . Taking what e to the Dallas Stars this season in consideration, the spent cap dollars does help the team consistently hit the cap floor in these dire times.
The Stars, who still pay out half of departed Sean Avery’s annual salary after waiving him, went under the floor briefly when Sean Avery cleared waivers from the New York Rangers. They in turn had to deal for a player at a much higher price dollar amount with no time in hand.
The Islanders have benefited heavily through the last few years with goaltenders that have stood up and played exceptionally well in DiPietro’s absence, and typically for very little money on very short deals. Goalies like Dwayne Roloson, Martin Biron, Joey MacDonald, and Wade Dubielewicz have all put in many minutes in the wake of DiPietro’s injuries. They’ve also benefited from young netminders such as Al Montoya and Kevin Poulin as they’ve come up the ranks and become very sound goaltenders.
Al Montoya returns this year after going 9-5-5 with an impressive .921 save percentage last season. He has gotten the nod three of the four games the Isle’s have played this year and only let four goals get by him. His third best 1.35 goals against average and fourth best .958 save percentage League wide has proven he is deserving of the chance.
Continuing with recent history, the Islanders also debuted veteran all-star goaltender Evgeni Nabokov who was acquired via a tough dealing waivers process in the offseason. Post suspension by the club for a defiant stance on the entry to the team’s roster; Nabokov is on the ice, and very much on the cards for possible return at a later date. In the meantime, the veteran will assist the Islanders in attaining wins throughout the year at a minute $575,000 contract for a single year. Trade bait and potential league-leading abilities of Nabokov’scombined with the level at which the young Montoya is playing at leaves the team just fine in goal – for the time being.Though DiPietro is out, his cap hit does allow the team to meet the floor and work on their young talents rather than overpaid regulars. The ultimate truth is also in the fact that DiPietro is a stud when he is healthy, and still fairly young at that. He has over three-hundred games in him, and his numbers are great. If and hopefully when DiPietro has a good luck streak from the injury bug, the youth will be there with experience of their own, hopefully collectively returning Long Island into a winner together.
- Kendall Grubbs
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