Uniondale, NY – The New York Islanders took the first step towards using a compliance buyout on goaltender Rick DiPietro, placing him on unconditional waivers Tuesday.
The 31-year-old DiPietro will be owed $1.5 million over the next 16 years, but the buyout will not count against the team's salary cap, according to Newsday.
DiPietro, who was the top overall selection in 2000 after just one season at Boston University, has compiled a 130-136-28 record with eight ties over his injury-plagued 12-year career. He has played in just 50 games since the start of the 2008-09 season, including three contests during the truncated 2013 schedule.
The Islanders signed DiPietro to a 15-year, $67 million contract in the summer of 2006, but he's been unable to live up to his potential and the terms of the mega-deal due to a litany of concussions, hip and knee injuries.
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