When New York Islanders fans talk about the worst free agent signings in franchise history, one name consistently rises to the top: Andrew Ladd.
Signed on July 1, 2016, to a seven-year, $38.5 million contract, Ladd was brought in by then-GM Garth Snow to help replace the departing Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen and provide top-six scoring, veteran leadership, and championship pedigree. The Islanders had just won a playoff series for the first time in 23 years and needed to keep momentum going despite the losses of two home grown players that were borderline All-Stars.