Islanders cut Yashin loose....Please, Toronto, don't even think about it.....

The epitome of the "Take the money and run" athlete.

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070606.wsptyash6/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home

Yashin, 33, signed an $87.5-million (U.S.) contract after the Islanders acquired him from Ottawa in 2001. The four years left on the deal are worth $26.45 million, according to Newsday.

Under the NHL collective bargaining agreement, the Islanders can buy Yashin out by paying two-thirds of the remaining amount ($17.63 million) over the next eight years. The salary-cap hit will be some $2.2 million per season over that time.

Have a nice flight back to Moscow. No one in the NHL will touch you.

 

First a 15-year contract for a goalie and now buyout of a top player. What's next Islanders, bringing back Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, Bobby Nystrom, Ken Morrow and John Tonelli?

 

Somebody will take a flier on him. There will be a coach who thinks he can be the guy to motivate him every night. He'll be wrong, but somebody will give him a shot.

 

Unfortunately you're probably right.

Someone will think that Yashin would make a good reclamation project.

Let's see. Who's the dumbest GM in the NHL?

 

Dale Tallon?

 

Yeah, but Wirtz is too cheap.

 

Re: Islanders cut Yashin loose....Please, Toronto, don't even think about it....

Isn't the Yashin buyout merely the first finger down the throat in the Islanders' post-Milbury purge?

 

Bob,
I think Wang was behind the original Yashin signing like he was with the DiPietro signing.

Some good stuff on this in James Mirtle's blog today:

http://mirtle.blogspot.com/2007/06/isles-end-yashin-era.html

The word has been that Ryan Smyth wasn't crazy about returning to the Islanders with Yashin as the team's captain, and given Snow forfeited a trio of nice assets for what amounted to 23 games played in Long Island, the organization's going to be in the Smyth bidding right up until the end.

 

I would have suggested Doug MacLean in Columbus, where he could put Yashin in a room with Fedorov and Zherdev. Too late for that now, though. Maybe Jacques Martin in Florida? Had him in Ottawa, and might be able to convince him it's his last shot. A one or two year deal, working cheap, might pay off

 

Unless I've missed something when did Yashin become a top player. Having talent and using it are two completely different things.

 

Careful ... buying out DiPietro's contract paving the way for Billy Smith to return might be next.