Roloson goes for two; DiPietro contract keeps looking better

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On Sept. 12, 2006, the New York Islanders signed goalie Rick DiPietro (notes) to a 15-year contract worth $67.5 million. Anyone else want to climb into the time machine to tell them they'd be desperately signing a soon-to-be-40-year-old starter to a two-year contract worth $5 million in 2009?

Dwayne Roloson (notes) joins the Islanders, and if that doesn't speak volumes about their concerns about DiPietro's heath then nothing does. Roloson, on TSN, explained his motivation for leaving the Edmonton Oilers:

"I wanted to try and get a two-year deal, and it was one of the teams that offered a two-year deal," he said. "That's it. That's why."

Quite an endorsement.

Roloson leaving is somehow being portrayed as a "black mark" on the city of Edmonton, like he's Pronger's wife or something. Whatever. The real issue is that the Oilers' goaltender right now is Jeff Drouin-Deslauriers (notes) and the UFA pickings are slim.

Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has mentioned Josh Harding (notes) of the Minnesota Wild, an RFA, as an option. It might be time to speak of him as the only option for the Oil. Unless they're interested in Cristobal Huet (notes) or (gulp) Jose Theodore (notes).

Also, Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Kopecky (notes) goes to Scotty Bowman the Chicago Blackhawks for two years and $2.4 million. The Buffalo Sabres also made a signing, getting defenseman Steve Montador (notes) for a two-year deal at $1.55 million per season.

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1. Posted by pucksandbooks Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:00 pm EDT
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Hey Oil, in D.C. we got a vet goalie we'll part with.
2. Posted by Jerk Store Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:01 pm EDT
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steve montador!! WOOOOO!!!
Cup, here we come!!!
3. Posted by RedWings22 Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:04 pm EDT
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Chicago's becoming Detroit's retirement home...
Taking Probert, Lapointe, Calder, Lang, Hossa (12 years!?!), Kopecky...and yes Bowman's. Chicago's taken two long-term gambles in the past year, Campbell and Hossa, that will probably bite them in the rear.
4. Posted by Scotty G Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:13 pm EDT
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edmonton, i still don't know why people don't want to play there
5. Posted by StevieJ Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:14 pm EDT
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I think the Oilers have some secret web-editors they are planning on signing.
6. Posted by NYR34 Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:20 pm EDT
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Oh wow, Brashear is a Ranger. Proof that Betts is on the way out!
7. Posted by fictional character Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:20 pm EDT
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http://edmonton.en.craigslist.ca/spo/1249014501.html
8. Posted by EM Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:24 pm EDT
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"When I was going through negotiations, I wanted to try and get a two-year deal. That's one of the teams that offered a two-year deal. I wanted to get that first for security reasons, and that's it.. that's why."
Not a major revision, but that's the actual Roloson quote from TSN. It's been trimmed elsewhere, and the shortened form seems terse or, at best, lukewarm on the Isles.
9. Posted by Wuzupdawk Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:24 pm EDT
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"...Roloson leaving is somehow being portrayed as a "black mark" on the city of Edmonton..."
Really? Where did you pick that up? Most media coverage portrays this as what it is --- Roloson wanted a two year deal and Edmonton thought one year more appropriate.
Nothing against either Edmonton or Roloson. It's the hockey biz, Wysh.
10. Posted by Alexei Kudashov Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:30 pm EDT
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Steve Montador / AKA / The Bankrobber . Jesus . Why give him that cash . He is [profane]e .
11. Posted by Dan Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:30 pm EDT
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Interesting that Hossa goes to division rival Chicago from Detroit. It'll be fun, as a Detroit fan, to watch this amazing rivalry continue to grow in talent.
Hossa is a bit of a league "mercenary" disgused in "I just want the best opportunity to win a cup" clothing, but he's an elite player and a stand up individual, I hope he does well for the rest of his career in Chicago.
12. Posted by alex48111 Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:31 pm EDT
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Better make sure Kopecky gets in no fights.
13. Posted by drpratt007 Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:32 pm EDT
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Montador to the Sabres is a nice signing. Not anything to sell Season Tickets, but a good bolster to add serious toughness to the blueline. Rivet + Montador = Brutal.
14. Posted by chivas_d_guadalajara Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:33 pm EDT
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@fictional character
that made my day lol
15. Posted by Reppin 4rm Big D to Jrzy Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:47 pm EDT
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there's no problem w/ him leaving...he's 39 and wants to prove he can still play...edm only wants him till they find someone young enough to replace him......man is there any way the islanders can get outta payin dipietro.....i mean this guy is gonna get paid for 1230 regular season games but it seems he's only gonna play in 400 of those(if that) and it seems if the isles do make the playoffs it wont be b/c of him....they should give al montoya a shot too...he showed great potential in phx filling in for bryzgalov
16. Posted by goaltender41 Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:49 pm EDT
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New nickname for DiPietro: Di Buyout.
Unfortunately for DiPi, his hips and knees are never going to recover sufficiently to allow him to play. Garth Snow knows this, and unless he's proven wrong this year, it'll become a medical insurance issue, and the buyout should be OUTSIDE the salary cap. If only Garth had a stud goalie in his development system, he'd be set. The signing of Roloson will buy him time, though.
Still waiting for a big move from Brian Burke...
17. Posted by brian Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:49 pm EDT
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"Chicago's becoming Detroit's retirement home...
Taking Probert, Lapointe, Calder, Lang, Hossa (12 years!?!), Kopecky...and yes Bowman's. Chicago's taken two long-term gambles in the past year, Campbell and Hossa, that will probably bite them in the rear."
Eh, not really. Kind of a petty argument when the players you mention are journeymen anyway. Hossa was a Wing and Lang a Hawk for only one season apiece. And you have Calder backwards: he started his career as a Hawk. He played 6 seasons with the Blackhawks and before going to Detroit for a whopping total of 19 games. I have no idea how you could have come up with that one. But yeah, the Campbell signing will probably hurt.
18. Posted by Ricky N Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:55 pm EDT
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drpratt007.. you serious? Rivet + Montador = brutal?? come on.. dont get me wrong, would be a good pairing but it aint that tough.. serious toughness is pronger and a defenseman to be named on the flyers.. and im a penguins fan.. give up the dream.. sabres need a guy to score goals and to sell jerseys and bring fans in.. your whole team is a bunch of 2nd.. majority 3rd n 4th liners.. dont be surprised if mr. gionta pops into the sabres radar.. local rochester boy - GO PENS!!
19. Posted by Fin-atic Wed Jul 01, 2009 3:59 pm EDT
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Anyone who thought the DiPietro deal in 06' was a good one, please send me some of what you're taking. For DiPietro that was like the equivalent of suddenly finding out you have a rich relative that died and left you everything. He was far from elite when he landed that contract. Sports salaries are out of control.
20. Posted by Joe Vegas Wed Jul 01, 2009 5:11 pm EDT
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Roloson is a stop gap until Mikko the Giant Finn is ready to take over. The medical retirement of DiPietro is writing on the wall. D.P. gets paid off by the insurance policy the Isles took out when he got that contract, and it removes the cap hit as well.
And hindsight is always 20/20. If he never got hurt and continued his improvement, the Isles would be called geniuses. Thank the stupid All-Star Skills Competition for this.
21. Posted by habs1rule Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:04 pm EDT
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Need Dipietros contact gone, Just call 1800 BGAINEY..
22. Posted by Bryan Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:20 pm EDT
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Good signing, but, I would have preferred them going after Biron instead.
23. Posted by TMC Wed Jul 01, 2009 6:39 pm EDT
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Pretty ignorant, people. First of all GARTH SNOW DID NOT SIGN DIPIETRO. Secondly, signing someone like Roloson is a show of faith him him, not against him. Or do you think that Roloson is in the Islanders long-term plans? Holy crap people dont even THINK, they just yammer on.
24. Posted by i4ni Wed Jul 01, 2009 8:05 pm EDT
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LOL@Habs1. It's mostly funny because there might be some reality to it!
25. Posted by gsmflight66 Thu Jul 02, 2009 10:15 am EDT
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Roloson to the Islanders was a interesting because they need a goalie who is healthy and can improved the team with his expierence.