5.5 is okay. 7 years is a long time. I don't think it is a bad deal. Just makes me say again the deals we have our 4 dmen on are very good for us. Staal and Girardi would have clearly gotten more if they wanted it.
Leddy is OK. That contract is moronic and shows just how little faith the Islanders have in the defenseman on their farm.. That deal basically makes it impossible to sign a lot of their forwards that will be UFA and RFA's.
agree you want to sign young players to long term so you don't have the issue we have with Stepan and in the past Dubi...at the same time...5.5 that is way too much for an unproven player and throw in that it is for 7 years...wow...its contracts like this one that makes the salary structure all fucked up. Granted not for the Icelanders who have cap room, at the moment..but for league wide stability this hurts