Islanders avoid arbitration, re-sign Moulson

The Islanders avoided arbitration with winger Matt Moulson Tuesday, settling on a one-year contract worth $2.45 million.

The two sides met Tuesday morning in Toronto before Moulson's arbitration hearing and hammered out a last-minute deal for the 30-goal scorer. It is believed that the Islanders offered one-year, two-year and three-year deals worth $2 million per year to Moulson before the two camps settled on a one-year contract worth $2.45 million.

"Sometimes it takes a deadline to come to an agreement," general manager Garth Snow said.

Moulson said he was tense while waiting in the hallway as both sides plugged away and was relieved when an agreement was reached minutes before the scheduled 9 a.m hearing.

"I was excited. We figured that if something was going to get done, it would be this morning," Moulson said by phone. "I wanted to be back on the Island . . . I let the agents and the GM deal with all the numbers and stuff. I just want to play hockey and win the Cup. I think we reached a good number."

And as for his breakout season in 2009-10, Moulson is hell-bent on making sure it's not a one-time thing. He's shooting for 40 goals this season.

"I think a lot of people want to see me do what I did last year again this year and I'm prepared for that," Moulson said. "I entered this [offseason] with a different mind-set and have been using that to kind of fuel me."

Although the Islanders could have pressed to sign Moulson, who turns 27 in November, to a lengthier contract to prevent him from becoming an unrestricted free agent after this year, it is believed they would like to see him duplicate last year's success first.

"He scored 30 goals last year and we'd love to see him build on that," Snow said. "We're looking forward to him being a big part of our team next year."