Islanders act quickly, sign forward to five year deal before free agency.

The New York Islanders have a huge offseason ahead of them and while it's expected the Islanders will disappoint their fan base and not re-sign elite winger Kyle Okposo, they did a good job of buying back some of that faith from fans today when they announced a new give year deal for one of their young forwards.

After making just $1.2 million this season, 25 year old forward Casey Cizikas will earn himself a nice raise and will earn an average of $3.35 million over the next five season of his National Hockey League career, presumably with the Islanders.

Some have expressed a belief that the Islanders may have slightly overpaid for a player who was set to be a restricted free agent. but it's important to note that the Islanders bought themselves several additional years of control with this deal, and that comes at a premium. [pub]

Cizikas is a solid contributor for New York, with 8 goals and 30 points last season and a plus minus rating of 4, and at 25 years old he is entering his prime, a perfect time to sign him.