Islanders Extend Casey Cizikas For Five Years
Little late to the party, but 5 years with an AAV at $3.35 a year is a deal both sides should be happy about.
Cizikas is a player any coach would want on their team. The hockey guyest of hockey guys. He doesn’t score every goal but he is going to work harder than anyone else on the ice and manage to find himself in every scrum, every battle, and every race before his shift is over. Which is exactly what Capuano wants to see out this team. Just out there working hahd and battlin’. So following a year in which he took a major step forward both on the ice and on paper, getting this deal done now, while still able to chew up some of Cizikas’ UFA years, was a no brainer for Garth.
There’s no doubt he was overpaid to a degree, but with the way Zeeker has proven himself as one of the league’s best penalty killers while also centering the best fourth line ever [per sources], the money does come with the idea that Capuano expects to see even more out of the 25 year old about to hit his prime years. With a promotion to 3rd line center possibly in the works.
With all signs pointing to both Okposo and Martin playing for not-the-Islanders next year, as neither camps have had contact with Garth since last summer, I would expect this to be just a drop in the pool of moves made this offseason. Frans is currently in negotiations but nothing is done until it’s done, as Staple even brought up the idea that this deal could be insurance incase the Great Dane ends up following in Okposo and Marts’ steps.
We’re less than a month away from the biggest free agency period of Garth Snow’s career as GM. No pressure bud.