Isles extend Clutterbuck for FIVE years

[nossagog]

 

 

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/18242726/new-york-islanders-cal-clutterbuck-agree-five-year-175m-extension

 

Kind of scratching my head here.   Twenty nine years old.    Career highs of 34 points and 19 goals. On pace this year for around 7 goals and 30 points.    This is someone you give a five year contract to?   Five years at $3.5M per.    

 

Sure he's a heart and soul player, a great team mate, a locker room presence. But is this what you build a team around?  And at twenty nine, this is probably as good as it gets.  To me he's a grinder whom most teams see as easily replaceable with another grinder.  Am I missing something here?

 

I'm sure that Tavares is looking to upgrade the team to help him out.  This makes it seem like the team is happy with physical grinding hockey.  Wonder if Johnny is mulling his options?

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

@nossagog

 

Well, I see your point on his salary vs production.

 

However, I really DO think the Isles are paying for everything else he does.

Bit of an overpay? Perhaps.

If you want to categorize Clutter as strictly a 4th liner, then I think those guys, even the better ones, go for around 2-3M max.

 

That said (and I know his numbers really don't bear this out), I also believe he actually DOES have some offensive skill....if he is used in certain situations and with certain players.

 

When he was in Minnesota, he oftentimes was given 2nd line duties and sometimes got 2nd unit PP duties and performed pretty well.  Granted, he did suffer from what many Minnesota players seem to suffer from even toay (lack of consistent finish at the net) AND he was in his early twenties then, but still, I think his speed and nose for the net are a bit underrated.

 

Yea, I know, 29 yrs old and we still have that 3.5M vs what should have been a max 3M per deal.

But 29 still isn't old (contract takes him to 34 yrs old...not terrible) and again, I think the Islanders are paying for his presence, relative durability, and yea, the heart n soul aspect of his game.

 

Not the usual way for a team to spend money, but hey, this is the Isles we are talking about...."usual" is just not what they do!

 

As for Tavares....I agree he should be staring a hole at management to get him some damned help. But if a guy like Clutterbuck is going to continue on as a bottom six guy, then the 3.5M given to him should not really concern the Isles captain.

While 3.5M for a bottom six grinder is a bit of a stretch, in the overall grand scheme, it isn't a terrible high annual hit vs the cap and there are some other players in the top six NOW who are making much more.....and aren't producing much of anything to help out Tavares for what they are being paid.

 

Right off the top of my head, Ladd, Kulemin, and the injured Grabovski come to mind.

 

So if John Tavares ends up leaving as a UFA after next season, it WON'T be because the Isles gave Cal Clutterbuck a 5 yr/3.5M per contract.......it'll be because the Isles failed to furnish him with guys up top who will actually help him and the overall offense out.

[nossagog]

@TropicalFruitGirl26

 

Your last paragraph sums it up.  If I'm Tavares, they have not done anything to get him the help to convince him that there is a cup in the future for the Isles.  So why stay.