In the 2014 offseason, New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow signed two free agent forwards to two four-year contracts that totaled nearly $10 million.
Three years later, one of the two players sat out a full season (with another likely on the horizon) and then was moved to the Vegas Golden Knights in an expansion deal.
The other contributed 76 points … over three seasons.
Nikolay Kulemin is a workhorse without a payday. He plays the boards well and uses his frame appropriately as a physical checker, not to mention his phenomenal two-way game: He’s an effective penalty killer and defensive piece.