Islanders give DiPietro a buyout
The New York Islanders used a compliance buyout on goalie Rick DiPietro, the team announced Wednesday.
The move makes the oft-injured DePietro an unrestricted free agent and rids the team of his contract. The 31-year-old veteran will received $1.5 million per year through the 2028-29 season.
"It was an extremely tough decision to use the compliance buyout on Rick's contract," Islanders general manager Garth Snow said. "His drive to win games and compete at the highest level for the New York Islanders was never questioned. With Rick back at 100 percent health, we wish him nothing but the best as he continues to pursue his career."
The Islanders' goaltending situation is up in the air, leading to speculation that the team will be shopping for a goalie during free agency. Evgeni Nabokov, who started in goal for the Islanders last season, is a free agent and Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson are inexperienced.
