From Greg Logan of Newsday:
The handwriting has been on the wall for the past couple seasons regarding the demise of Shawn Bates’ Islanders career. The Islanders are expected to make it official Friday morning when they announce their decision to buy out the remaining year of his contract.
Bates was scheduled to make $1.2 million, but under NHL buyout provisions, he will receiver two-thirds of that amount in equal installments of $400,000 spread over the next two seasons. Last season, Bates appeared in only two games, and he was limited to 48 games the previous season by a groin injury and hernia surgery.
Read the entire story here.
The Islanders are in full rebuilding mode, so cutting Bates, who has significantly slowed down the past couple of seasons, and going with a young player in his place is a good move by Garth Snow.
A look at the projected lineups and pre-game interviews.
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Recap of the game.