Yashin Contract Latest Milbury Controversy

Barclay Poole
Sep 7, 2001

Mike Milbury is no stranger to controversy. His tenure as New York Islanders GM has seen last place finishes, questionable trades, and at times, downright nasty contract negotiations. Whether his fault or not, Milbury could do no right to help raise his team from the NHL cellar. That is, until this summer.

Armed with owner Charles Wang’s wallet, Milbury pulled off two monstrous trades to land superstars Alexei Yashin and Michael Peca. But any chance of Milbury shedding the label of "Mad Mike" has quickly been put on hold. With the 87.5 million dollar contract recently given to Yashin, many critics have been left scratching their heads.

There is no questioning Yashin’s talent. Upon entering the NHL as an Ottawa Senator, Yashin quickly drew comparisons to Mario Lemieux. He had size, was a tremendous passer, had a wonderful scoring touch and an incredible ability to make his teammates better. Today, those skills are certainly still in tact. But bitter contract negotiations, skipping out on an entire year and sub-par playoff performances, have eroded the once high opinions of fans, media, and even some fellow NHL’ers.

But even with all the baggage, Yashin seemed like a perfect fit in New York. The Islanders were wafer thin at center, not to mention in desperate need of "star power." Mike Milbury filled both those needs with Yashin. He gives the Islanders an immediate dose of talent and ability, while almost single-handedly putting the Islanders back on the NHL map. Fans now have a legitimate reason to be excited.

But is a 10-year, 87.5 million dollar contract really the way to proceed with Yashin? What happens when he becomes disgruntled in a year or two or even five or six? Will he hold out again? How about if the Islanders continue to lose? Yashin and his contract will almost certainly be the one fans blame. Worst-case scenario would see him even being run out of town and traded. But what team would be able to eat such a contract?

The questions don’t stop here. What happens in 2004, when a new collective bargaining agreement is due, if a salary cap in put in place? Yashin’s contract will eat a hefty portion of such a cap, whether or not he is producing, for years to come.

Why, after knowing Yashin’s history and the uncertainty of what lies ahead after 2004, would the Islanders generously give such a contract? The move is no doubt a bold one by Milbury and Wang, one that could easily blow up in their faces and drive the struggling franchise further into the ground. But Milbury may be smarter than critics give him credit for. After all, winning requires a little risk taking.

Yashin is just 4 years away from unrestricted free agency. If he were to pursue a 4-year contract and then walk, the Islanders would almost certainly come out as losers after trading youngsters Zdeno Chara and ultimately Jason Spezza for his rights. Locking him up for 10 years, gives the Islanders a top-flight talent and a centerpiece to build the team around for the next decade.

This summer, players like Jeremy Roenick, Pierre Turgeon, Martin Lapointe, and Alexander Mogilny changed teams as unrestricted free agents. The Islanders won’t have to worry about Yashin taking a similar route until he is near the end of his career. It’s almost unheard of to have this kind of stability through a player’s prime earning years, which generally occur after the magic age of 31 when they become eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Maybe a 10-year contract is the way to deal with a guy like Yashin who has a history of contract squabbles, by limiting the number of times a contract comes up. If after (for example) year 3, Yashin decides to sit again, what options does he really have? No free agency will be on the horizon and if he doesn’t play, he certainly won’t get paid.

Even more, the Islander brass believe Yashin is a changed man, one who learned from his mistakes in Ottawa and one who has matured with his years. After all, Joe Sakic’s leadership was questioned early on in Quebec and it took Steve Yzerman over 10 years before he finally led the Red Wings to the promised land. Milbury certainly hopes a change will do Yashin some good on and off the ice.

Maybe looking at things on a larger scale will put this contract in the best light. For years the Islanders have been a league laughing stock, with a consistently small budget and a place where free agents didn’t even give a sniff. Well how about now? This contract puts the Islanders on the map. It helps to erase past personas and immediately shifts the thinking of players who may become free agents next year. The Islanders are now a major player and the Yashin contract proves it.

Ultimately, whether or not the Yashin contract proves to be successful boils down to whether or not the Islanders win. If they can make the jump to a playoff team and then to a Stanley Cup contender, the 87.5 million dollars will quickly be forgotten. But if the losing continues, "Mad Mike" won’t have to worry about taking heat for the deal in New York. He’ll be too busy looking for work elsewhere.

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