Release Alexei Yashin

Dear Mr. Wang,


We as fans of the New York Islanders appreciate the job you have done in order to restore glory to the former powerhouse of the 1980's. Your acquistions of Mike Peca, Adrian Aucoin and Alexei Yashin in the summer of 2001 restored faith to the NHL's laughing stock. However, you and your former GM Mike Milbury have since traded Peca to the Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers, Adrian Aucoin, the Islanders Ray Borque has left for the blueline in Chicago, and veterans such as Brad Lukowich, Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha have been traded away for youth and draft choices. Despite your best efforts to rebuild, the team's captiancy is a position filled by the man who shouldn't even be on the team anymore. Alexei Yashin. Since acquiring him for All-Star Defencemen Zdeno Chara as well as the 2nd overall selection in the 2001 NHL Draft (which turned out to be super prospect Jason Spezza), he has been nothing but a bust, earning a post-lockout salary of $7.5 million per year. His laughable excuse for effort on a nightly basis is sickening and his skill in the new NHL has diminshed to the point where he should be nothing more than the slot man on a power play, that is if he can learn to pass the puck. With this rebuilding phase the Islanders are in, a locker room cancer such as Yashin would be harmful to the growth and development of the young players such as Robert Nilson, Jeff Tambelini, Sean Bergenheim and Bruno Gervais. Mr Wang, we are asking you to promptly release Alexei Yashin under the provision in the CBA that allows you to do so. The Islanders will be better for it. Thank you