The New York Islanders, shut out of any significant additions on Day 1 of the NHL's free-agency period, hit pay dirt Wednesday afternoon by signing a pair of forwards, Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski, to four-year deals.
Kulemin's contract will pay him $16.75 million, while Grabovski will earn $20 million over the life of the contract, sources told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun on Wednesday.
Kulemin, 27, is a right winger who had 30 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2010-11 but slumped to nine goals in 70 games last season for the Leafs.
Grabovski, a center, is another former Leaf who had 13 goals in 58 games playing for the Washington Capitals last season.
Grabovski scored at least 20 goals for the Maple Leafs in three seasons, including 29 in 2010-11, but the team used one of its two compliance buyouts on him last offseason and he signed a one-year deal with the Capitals.
The moves will add some offensive depth to an Islanders team that had been looking to add big names such as winger Thomas Vanek and defenseman Dan Boyle via free agency but was unsuccessful when most of the big-name players were signed Tuesday right after the free-agency period began.
The Islanders still need to shore up their defense, although they have added goaltending in the form of Jaroslav Halak and backup Chad Johnson since the end of the regular season.
