Islanders sign Niederreiter to three-year deal

With the media gathered for a preseason news conference with team owner Charles Wang, general manager Garth Snow and coach Scott Gordon, the Islanders announced the signing of first-round draft pick Nino Niederreiter to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Gordon initially huddled with Snow and demurred when asked about Niederreiter's performance at camp this week, but Snow finally revealed the news at the end of the news conference and brought the 18-year-old Swiss winger up to the podium to share his thoughts.

"It's just fantastic to be part of the Islanders," said Niederreiter, who was selected fifth overall at the draft in June. "Now that I've signed, it's just unbelievable."

Niederreiter's contract, a standard entry-level deal, is worth $810,000 per year, with an average annual signing bonus of $90,000 and up to $1.925 million in potential bonuses. The deal was struck Tuesday afternoon before his agent flew back to Switzerland after a five-day visit to Long Island.

Once he was given the green light to speak, Gordon said Niederreiter played extremely well in last week's rookie games in Boston.

"Nino's had a great junior career," Gordon said. "We know he's skilled, he was drafted high, he's a big body and he skates well. We'll just have to see if he is able to compete against men."

The team will wait to see how he performs in training camp before making a decision on whether to keep him or send him back to his junior team, the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League.

The Islanders can keep the 6-1, 200-pound Niederreiter for the first nine games of the season and still send him back to the Winterhawks without financial penalty.

"He's just got to focus on playing his game and playing well. He's a big body and that's something he has in his favor," Snow said.

Niederreiter, who scored a goal in the team's first rookie game against Boston last Wednesday, said he hopes to fight for a roster spot but expects camp to be a challenge.

"I have to show a lot," he said. "It's a big battle out there and everyone can't make the team. In the end it will be the coach's and general manager's decision."