Report: A young D-man gets a huge extension!

The New York Islanders made a huge move on Tuesday by agreeing to a seven-year contract extension with Nick Leddy. “Nick has proven to be an elite defenseman in this league at a young age,” Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said in a statement. “He’s the type of player on the ice, in the locker room and in the community that we’re thrilled to add as a cornerstone of our defensive core.” Leddy’s new deal is worth $38.5 million, which carries an average annual cap hit of $5.5M. It’s a significant raise from the $2.7 million he was making on his previous deal and makes him the team’s highest-paid defenseman, and tied with John Tavares for the biggest cap hit on the team. The former first-round pick leads all New York defensemen in goals, with eight, and sits second to Johnny Boychuk in points, with 25. Leddy also averages over 20 minutes a night and has a plus-12 rating, the fourth-best on the team.