Tampa Bay Lightning: Top 5 Worst Contracts In Team History
By Kyle Barber
Feb 6, 2014; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ryan Malone (12) shoots as Toronto Maple Leafs goalie
(45) defends during the second period at Tampa Bay Times Forum. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
From fan favorite to team liability, former Tampa Bay Lightning forward had one of the worst contracts in team history.
Ryan ‘Bugsy’ Malone was once one of the most adored players that wore a Tampa Bay Lightning uniform. His ability to score, hit, and fight made him one of the more popular players both among the fans and his teammates. Since the day the team traded for the rights of Malone and signed him, the team thought they had a player that could provide scoring and grit to the forward lines, but in the end they got a player that was once again bought out from a bad contract.
The Lightning signed Malone to a seven-year, $31.5 contact before the start of the 2008-09 season after sending a third round pick to the his hometown team Pittsburgh Penguins for the negotiating rights of both Malone and veteran forward Gary Roberts. After playing 9-years for his hometown team and winning a Stanley Cup, the organization hoped that Malone would bring that championship mentality to a team that had not been very good over the past few years.
At the beginning of Malone’s contract, it seemed like the move was going to pay off. Though he never played a full 82 game season in a Lightning uniform, Malone contributed offensively while bringing toughness and leadership to a Lightning lineup that sorely needed it. In four of his first five seasons, Malone scored more than 20 goals and in three of the five had more than 40 points. All was going well for the veteran forward until the 2012-13 season.
In a year filled with injures, the 2012-13 season saw Malone only play 24 games and score 8 points. The next season, Malone scored only 15 point in 57 games. At that time, a lot of people began to say it was time for Malone to find a job else wear.
Unfortunately, Malone’s $4.5 million dollar salary made it almost impossible for General Manager Steve Yzerman to move the veteran winger and the team decided to use their second compliance buyout on Malone’s contract. The move would save the team $4.5 million dollars of cap space for the upcoming season, but they would still have to pay Malone two-thirds of his salary (or $1.67 million dollars) over the next two seasons.
Along with his arrest in April of 2014 for DUI cocaine and diminishing play on the ice, Ryan Malone was just not a fit in Tampa anymore. His bad contract made it impossible to move the veteran forward to another NHL team and it forced Yzerman to buyout his contract.
It is unfortunate that Malone was unable to perform and finish out his contract with the Lightning, but at the end of the day this is a ‘what have you done for me lately’ business and Malone’s success early in the contract doesn’t change the fact that he was just not good anymore. His contract ranks as the second worst deal in Tampa Bay Lightning history.
Next: Number 1: Vincent Lecavalier