Malone and Lightning Agree to Long Term Deal

When the Islanders signed Rick DiPietro to an unprecedented 15-year deal it was considered crazy. It still might be a bit, but it's starting to look more and more like teams are interested in locking up players for the long-term.

After a whole slew of lengthy contracts given out last year, Briere and Richard to name two, we might be looking at a different type of NHL. Long contracts are suddenly the latest fashion trend. Another player inked a long one as Ryan Malone signed a seven year deal with the Lightning today valued at a bit over $30 million. So while the DiPietro contract still looks pretty silly, it's looking saner every year.