Cal Clutterbuck signed a five-year extension today with the New York Islanders to keep him with the team through the 2022 season.
The New York Islanders, who have scored at least a point in six straight games, are using their off day to reward one of their alternate captains.Cal Clutterbuck is more to the Islanders than just a fourth line player, and they proved it today. The right winger has officially signed a five-year, $17.5 million extension.
#Isles Transaction: Cal Clutterbuck has agreed to terms on a five-year contract extension. Details: https://t.co/EFfTYBMNQA pic.twitter.com/AQx5kXrFtW
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) December 9, 2016
Clutterbuck is in his fourth season with the Islanders after coming over from the Minnesota Wild following the 2012-2013 season. He spent the first six years of his career with the Wild before being traded to the Islanders. That trade included a third-round pick from the Wild in exchange for right winger Nino Niederreiter.
Clutterbuck has accumulated 177 points over the course of his career, with 67 of them coming over the last three-plus seasons with the Islanders. He has scored six points in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games as well over the last two seasons. This season, Clutterbuck has two goals and seven assists in 25 games played.
The contract extension insures Andrew Ladd, Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy and Clutterbuck will be the core of the Islanders team for years to come. Not everyone appears to be on board with the move, however.
If I signed Cal Clutterbuck to a five-year extension I don't know that I'd be telling people about it.
— Holly (@holly_holl) December 9, 2016
So wait a minute #Isles weren't interested in Okposo but overpaid for Ladd and now gave Cal Clutterbuck FIVE years? Good lord. What dopes.
— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) December 9, 2016
Letting Kyle Okposo go does become especially head scratching with the deals given to Ladd and now Clutterbuck. Although the value of Clutterbuck does go beyond how many points he’s putting up per season, replacing the production of Okposo and his 64 points from last season is no easy task.
Now that the Islanders have signed Clutterbuck to an extension, they will now be paying about $31 million to seven players who will be over the age of 30 next season – something that wasn’t a concern with Okposo.
Clutterbuck’s deal will carry an average value of $3.5 million per season against the team’s overall cap.
