More photos » Paul J. Bereswill - AP

about 1 month ago: New York Islanders goalie Rick DiPietro (39) stops a shot as New Jersey Devils' Brian Rolston (12) tries to tip it in during the second period of an NHL hockey game at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., Monday, Jan. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

Browse more photos »

Long-term, big-time contracts will put (and keep) any player in the spotlight.  For good or bad, this no doubt subjects a player to endless criticism.  Have a good game, and you're worth every penny.  Battle through a slump, and you're overpaid.

But when that player is repeatedly injured and out of the lineup for months at a time, there is suddenly a new label you can throw into the mix.  All the talk of what was accomplished in the past or may be accomplished in the future transcends into one mantra: I guess we're stuck with him either way.

For Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro, now three seasons into his 15-year, $67.5 million deal, it's hard to really say where fans stand.  After two knee surgeries, two hip surgeries and a concussion or two thrown into the mix, the Islanders faithful have every right to be skeptical.  

DP returned to action earlier this month against the Stars, a 4-3 loss for the Islanders but no doubt a moral victory of sorts for their goaltender.  Although he didn't start again until a week later against the Sabres, he did return to claim his first win since December 2008.  Two nights later against division rival New Jersey, his first shutout since February 2008.  Was the number one pick in the 2000 draft...back?  If fantasy hockey is any indicator, fans definitely acted like he was.  Ownership on Yahoo! had DP jump from 2% to the upper-20 percentile practically over night.  As of right now he's currently owned by 38% of teams (hungry for a goaltender who actually starts, I myself picked him up - thanks again Pascal Leclaire).  The more loyal New York fans, however, still have their reservations.

Dominik, editor over at Lighthouse Hockey, had this to say in a recent e-mail exchange:

Fans have two underlying concerns. First: Can he regain his peak form after a year on the shelf with all that rehab? (He was rightly in the All-Star Game in 2007-08, having carried that Islanders team to a playoff position by January 2008. Before his hip injury in the skills competition, the feeling was he "had arrived.")

The second concern -- made moot if he can't answer the first -- is: Will he have the long-term durability to carry the load as a number one again? We've seen with many goalies that the butterfly style has not been kind to hips and knees over the long haul, and DiPietro has had two hip surgeries and knee surgeries before age 28. So prudence would dictate not just having a quality backup, but also using that backup so that DP doesn't play as often as he once did. I don't think fans are expecting him to play until Dwayne Roloson's age, but there is measured hope for the near term.

Four games may not be the best gauge as to whether or not DiPietro is back in tip-top shape, but it's already just one game short of his entire 2008-09 season.  As Dominik later added, keeping a goaltender like Dwayne Roloson in town is the safe bet to making sure the team is prepared to handle another injury, should that misfortune continue to plague DP.  Even though the future of Marty Biron remains in question, with many suggesting a trade of sorts by the deadline, the Islanders did spend two picks on goaltenders this past summer up in Montreal. 

Whether or not DiPietro is "back" still remains in question.  The Islanders and fans may continue to refrain from such bold statements, especially if a superstitious fan doesn't want to test the hockey gods by even uttering the word (after all, he's yet to injure his back). 

If anything, a full, healthy season regardless of wins and losses would at least help squash some skepticism.  And perhaps carrying the team to a successful playoff berth, its first since 06/07, would more or less seal the deal.