3 contracts the Islanders need to get rid of

A new coach has breathed new life into what was previously a struggling New York Islanders team.

With a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night, New York improved to 7-1-2 since Doug Weight replaced Jack Capuano and now sits just two points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

However, if the Islanders are serious about this season and their future, they need to rid themselves of certain horrendous contracts that continue to hamper the team's ability to acquire high-end assets that could aid John Tavares and company.

With that considered, here are three contracts the Islanders should be pushing to get off their books:

Jaroslav Halak

A goaltender making over $4.75 million to play in the minors - those don't come along too often.

However, that's exactly what Jaroslav Halak has become. The 31-year-old has struggled mightily this season - no one can dispute that - but he's also not been given the chance to redeem himself.

The Islanders carried three goalies for a long stretch of the campaign, usually leaving Halak as the odd man out. The veteran's agent voiced his displeasure earlier in the season, and Halak was later assigned to the American Hockey League after clearing waivers.

Related: Halak impressing with Sound Tigers

Despite Halak thriving in the minors, he's also taking up cap space while Thomas Greiss has established himself as the Islanders' No. 1 goalie.

It's time to deal the veteran.

Casey Cizikas

It's hard to understand what exactly Casey Cizikas did to push Garth Snow to sign him to a long-term deal.

The 25-year-old notched a career-high 30 points in 80 games last season, while his previous career mark in goals was nine, set in 2015.

This season, he's on pace for 34 points and nine goals once again - hardly an improvement.

Factor in his Corsi-for percentage of just 47.86, and it's hard to understand why the team committed five years and nearly $17 million for a fourth-line center.

Cal Clutterbuck

When Cal Clutterbuck is doing his thing - scoring in addition to strong physical play - he can be a valuable asset.

However, this season he's not scoring at his usual clip, and therefore his value is certainly decreasing.

After recording a commendable 15 goals last season, Clutterbuck has managed just three to date - on pace for just five, which would be his lowest mark in a full 82-game season.

Of course, that drop in goal production comes after the 29-year-old inked a five-year, $17.5-million extension in December.

Combined, Cizikas and Clutterbuck will make just under $7 million for each of the next four seasons. That's for two skaters who play just over 14 minutes per game and whose major contributions have been killing penalties.

Those dollars would be better spent elsewhere.

Andrew Ladd, not so fast

With such a list, it's hard to ignore Andrew Ladd and his monstrous seven-year, $38.5-million contract.

In an ideal world, this would be off the books, but with no-movement and no-trade clauses littered throughout the contract - along with money, which is largely owed in signing bonuses - it's not an easy deal to get rid of.

It's also worth considering that despite his slow start, the 31-year-old is now chipping in offensively on a more consistent basis.

Ladd has four goals and six points in his last six games, and could be one of the many players who thrives under new leadership behind the bench.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)