NHL team under fired after giving aging forward over $17 million dollars.

The New York Islanders made a big announcement on Friday but the reception it has received was likely not what they were expecting.

The Islanders announced a five-year contract extension for forward Cal Clutterbuck and, while the team did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, multiple sources have reported that the deal carries an average annual value of $3.5 million per season, good for a total of $17.5 million.

Those trying to put a positive spin on the signing have largely been forced to cite Clutterbuck's intangibles to make a case for investing so much in a player just shy of 30, and Fox Sports' Pete Blackburn made it clear he feels no matter the intagibles the Islanders paid a "bad price."

One of the major gripes here stems from the fact that the Islanders let both Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo walk away as free agents, but have invested considerable money in players who don't produce nearly as much on the offensive side of the ice. Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times, someone who grew up an Islanders fan, is baffled by management's decisions.

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Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News was far less kind calling the Islanders "dopes."

It's the second major signing this year from general manager Garth Snow to be the subject of widespread criticism, the first being the signing of Andrew Ladd to a seven-year deal over the summer, and there has been rampant speculation regarding his job security over the last two weeks. If this signing proves to be a bust it may be the last mistake Snow is allowed to make as Islanders GM.