Published by hockeybuzz.com, 4-27-2017
Rumor has it that the Buffalo Bills scouting department is in for a house-cleaning after the NFL Draft which begins today. Terry and Kim Pegula own both the Bills and the NHL's Buffalo Sabres through Pegula Sports and Entertainment.
If true, the Pegula's will have done a lot of spring cleaning this year after poor results from their franchises. They started their purge of undesirables this past winter when they jettisoned Bills head coach Rex Ryan with three years and one game left on his contract. Later they hired Sean McDermott has the new head coach and he's wielding enormous clout for a head coach, and a first-timer to boot. McDermott has been dubbed the "one voice" of the Bills, according to the media, and has complete control over the draft., pushing GM Doug Whaley to the side and, it would seem, out the door.
Over at the foot of Washington St., the Pegula's dumped Sabres GM Tim Murray and head coach Dan Bylsma last week after what Terry Pegula described as a very disappointing 2016-17 season. Murray had just received a three-year extension in October and Bylsma also had three years on his contract. In the process, Pegula also said he was disappointed in himself for not being more involved in the hires of both Murray and Bylsma.
Apparently, PSE is liking what McDermott is doing with the Bills so far. Terry has been joining his head coach and "one voice" on scouting visits for quarterbacks and seems to have a liking to the way McDermott is approaching things and the entire scouting department is on alert. ProFootball Talk cited an unnamed Bills scout as saying, "We are all getting fired next week," which would be after the draft.
It's not really surprising. The scouting department has done a fair job, but nowhere near where they need to be for the franchise to rise above mediocrity. This is a team that spent the last three seasons within a game of .500 after going three consecutive seasons at 6-10. GM Whaley has been either around or in charge during this stretch and why he's still around is still somewhat of a mystery.
The timing is right, but to do so when they have a hockey department that's been laid to waste means a lot of work for the Pegula's and whatever helpers they've employed to guide them.
Pegula's hockey club didn't have a deep hockey department to begin with on the operations side. They went from having a couple of advisors when he first bought the team to Terry and Kim up top with President and Alternate Governor Russ Brandon just below the owners. After that it was Murray. At one point, for a very brief four-month stint, the Pegulas hires Pat LaFontaine to head the hockey ops, but he left in a cloud of mystery which placed a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Murray, whom they fired because it didn't work out.
If the rumors are true, the Pegulas, and presumably Brandon, are biting off a huge chunk as they'll be looking to build a scouting department for the Bills while looking to fill an empty hockey department for their Sabres who have a number of big-time things to deal with including the expansion draft, NHL Entry Draft, decisions on the 20 or so free agents they have, decisions on players in the system as well as free agency.
It's a huge undertaking the results of which won't be known for another couple of years, when they may be cleaning house again?
*****
Right now the Pegulas still have assistant general manager Mark Jakubowski his handling contract negotiations, which was his main focus with the club anyway. And yesterday Jakubowski got on th board as the club announced that junior defenseman Devante Stephens (2015, 122nd-overall) to a three-year, entry-level contract.
The 6'1" 172 lb. mobile rear-guard made huge strides in his third season with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League scoring 13 goals and adding 22 assists in 67 regular season games while adding seven assists in 15 playoff games. In addition to adding some bulk to deal with the rigors of the pro game, Stephens will probably spend at least a year or two in Rochester honing his defense against men, which is a huge jump for most junior players.
Buffalo's defense-corps had a rough go of it last season meaning change is on the horizon and opportunity for NHL-ready defensemen. Stephens isn't there yet but KHL d-man Viktor Antipin certainly is.
The 24 yr. old Antipin has spent his entire hockey career in Mother Russia, most recently with the Kontinental Hockey League, and was rumored to be signing with Buffalo weeks ago. There were questions as to what would happen after Murray was fired but according to a tweet from KHL insider/scout Aivis Kalnins, "Antipin and Buffalo Sabres have talked recently, feeling is that they will indeed get a deal done, most likely after World Champs."
The IIHF World Championships conclude May 21 and are being held in Cologne, Germany.
The question arises as to why Antipin would want to make his foray into the NHL amidst the tumult that is the Buffalo Sabres right now, but the 5'11" 174 lb. Antipin has an opportunity to jump right into the Sabres lineup, and if rumors about a no-AHL clause are true, then he'll spend his one-year deal playing in the NHL.
It's a nice fit for both player and team.
*****
Kris Baker of Sabresprospects/sabres.com tweeted that "the Stephens pick was made with info provided by Bylsma, who loved his athleticism when spending time with [Dan] Lambert in Kelowna."
Lambert was with the Rockets from 2009-15 before Bylsma brought him on board as an assistant. After one year as a Sabres assistant the organization moved Lambert behind the bench in Rochester. He was not part of the purge that happened last week.
*****
Last week I did a piece on Murray and how I'd be missing his media personality and demeanor. In a results-based business, things like that matter very little, in fact candor can often reveal too much and eventually work against you.
There were a lot of things wrong with the Sabres this past season and Murray took the hit for a roster that wasn't as talented as they could/should have been, especially on defense. However, I do feel that coaching had a lot to do with a sad Sabres season.
In watching the playoffs, most recently the Captials/Leafs series as well as Game-1 of the Oilers/Ducks series, the skating and aggressiveness with which played was something we'd see out of the Sabres, but very rarely. The big knock was Bylsma's system and the disconnect it caused with the players, especially the younger, more talented ones who could get up and down the ice.
Bylsma's system did nothing for this team in terms of speed and aggressiveness. Sure it was predicated upon his defense getting the puck to the forwards, which was an extremely difficult task for that corps, but to not deviate from a system that clearly wasn't working doesn't make sense.
I don't know how many times I wrote in my notes that teams seemed to know what the Sabres were about to do before they did it and simply broke things up before they got started. And it's been documented that often times players were more focused upon getting to a spot on the ice instead of playing the game. This insistence upon a rigid adherence to system throttled a team that had enough speed and skill to at least surpass last year's point-total.
In looking back, one can point to the 5-4 win in Ottawa the first game Jack Eichel returned from his injury. It was a game that Bylsma said was fun for the fans to watch but gave him and his staff indigestion. What a concept, a fun game for the fans to watch and to be on the winning end of a nine-goal game.
The skating and aggressiveness we saw in that Ottawa game rarely came to the fore again, unless it was when the team was behind and they needed to hit the go-switch.
It began with a game against the Los Angeles Kings in December after they found themselves down 2-0. Buffalo would storm back with four unanswered goals in just over six minutes en route to a 6-3 win in front of the home crowd. And in January the Sabres stormed back three consecutive games and won in overtime scoring 11 goals in the process.
Yet, it wasn't "The System."
Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News tweeted on the eve of the second round of the playoffs that the Sabres, "went 12-6-4 (.636) against 8 remaining teams -- and 9-0-3 vs. OTT, NYR, NSH, EDM. Can't finish with 78 points when you can do that."
A lot of things weren't right with the Sabres last year, but I'm of the opinion, and will always be of the opinion, "The System" played a huge role in the crappy season we in Sabreland witnessed.
Showing posts with label mark jakubowski. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mark jakubowski. Show all posts
Friday, April 28, 2017
Monday, September 5, 2016
Buffalo has enough cap-room for Ristolainen and a d-man TBD
Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray and AGM Mark Jakubowski did some yeoman's work this off-season in shoring up the upper half of the lineup while also keeping the support group in-house with very reasonable contracts.
At the June draft in Buffalo, Murray was able to land defenseman Dmitry Kulikov in a trade with the Florida Panthers. The edgy Russian who's being looked at as a possible top-pairing defenseman comes to Buffalo on the final year of his contract with a $4.3M cap-hit. A few days later the Sabres signed 28 yr. old RW Kyle Okposo to a long-term deal. The Sabres have Okposo for the next seven seasons with a cap-hit of $6M.
Murray and Co. started the off season well by re-signing center Johan Larsson to a very reasonable $950k contract in April and when the summer commenced they slowly chipped away at their remaining restricted free agent list. They began by re-signing defenseman Casey Nelson to a two-year extension after the college free agent performed very well in his NHL debut. Nelson is waiver exempt and has a cap-hit of $650K. Odds are that he'll play the majority of the season in Rochester.
The very next day, in what could be a very underrated deal, the team re-signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a three-year/$4.8M contract extension. McCabe played all of last season on the second pairing, mostly with Zach Bogosian, and had himself a very solid rookie campaign. Even if he merely remains a solid, second-pairing d-man his $1.6M cap-hit will help create crucial cap-space over the course of the next three years.
Marcus Foligno was next up and re-signed for $2.25M, his NHL salary from the prior season. Foligno is a solid bottom-six forward who has shown a penchant to produce at that level. A strong finish by the 25 yr. old had many thinking he'd be in for a bump but it was not to be.
At the June draft in Buffalo, Murray was able to land defenseman Dmitry Kulikov in a trade with the Florida Panthers. The edgy Russian who's being looked at as a possible top-pairing defenseman comes to Buffalo on the final year of his contract with a $4.3M cap-hit. A few days later the Sabres signed 28 yr. old RW Kyle Okposo to a long-term deal. The Sabres have Okposo for the next seven seasons with a cap-hit of $6M.
Murray and Co. started the off season well by re-signing center Johan Larsson to a very reasonable $950k contract in April and when the summer commenced they slowly chipped away at their remaining restricted free agent list. They began by re-signing defenseman Casey Nelson to a two-year extension after the college free agent performed very well in his NHL debut. Nelson is waiver exempt and has a cap-hit of $650K. Odds are that he'll play the majority of the season in Rochester.
The very next day, in what could be a very underrated deal, the team re-signed defenseman Jake McCabe to a three-year/$4.8M contract extension. McCabe played all of last season on the second pairing, mostly with Zach Bogosian, and had himself a very solid rookie campaign. Even if he merely remains a solid, second-pairing d-man his $1.6M cap-hit will help create crucial cap-space over the course of the next three years.
Marcus Foligno was next up and re-signed for $2.25M, his NHL salary from the prior season. Foligno is a solid bottom-six forward who has shown a penchant to produce at that level. A strong finish by the 25 yr. old had many thinking he'd be in for a bump but it was not to be.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Buffalo's Murray chippin' away--only Ristolainen and Girgensons left to re-sign
With the re-signings of G, Jason Kasdorf and F, Daniel Catenacci Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray only has two of his own free agents left to sign--D, Rasmus Ristolainen and F, Zemgus Girgensons--both of whom are restricted free agents.
Although both are first round picks and started their NHL careers the same year, the Sabres approach to re-signing them is decidedly different.
Ristolainen is a cornerstone top-pairing/No. 1 d-man that will anchor the Sabres defense corps for years to come. Murray and Company--most notably Mark Jakubowski his main contract negotiator--are focusing on extending Ristolainen and whether it's a bridge contract or long-term is a question that will go a long way in determining his cap-hit. Regardless, as of right now Ristolainen seems to be Priority-1 for Buffalo.
The Sabres went long-term on 2009 Calder Trophy winning defenseman Tyler Myers a few years back, going with a 7 yr./$38.5M contract for the lengthy defenseman with a scoring touch. It was a departure from the old way of doing business for that regime as they transitioned to a new era under new owner Terry Pegula. The 2011 off-season saw the team break free from the financial chains of former owner Tom Golisano and strike anew with a commitment to acquiring and keeping players deemed important foundational pieces.
Ristolainen is in that vein. He was the 8th-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and hit the ice with the Sabres beginning that very same year. When the front office and coaching staff were dismissed, Ristolainen would eventually be sent to the "safe-haven" that was Rochester as Buffalo was about to embark on an ugly drop to the bottom of the league.
Although both are first round picks and started their NHL careers the same year, the Sabres approach to re-signing them is decidedly different.
Ristolainen is a cornerstone top-pairing/No. 1 d-man that will anchor the Sabres defense corps for years to come. Murray and Company--most notably Mark Jakubowski his main contract negotiator--are focusing on extending Ristolainen and whether it's a bridge contract or long-term is a question that will go a long way in determining his cap-hit. Regardless, as of right now Ristolainen seems to be Priority-1 for Buffalo.
The Sabres went long-term on 2009 Calder Trophy winning defenseman Tyler Myers a few years back, going with a 7 yr./$38.5M contract for the lengthy defenseman with a scoring touch. It was a departure from the old way of doing business for that regime as they transitioned to a new era under new owner Terry Pegula. The 2011 off-season saw the team break free from the financial chains of former owner Tom Golisano and strike anew with a commitment to acquiring and keeping players deemed important foundational pieces.
Ristolainen is in that vein. He was the 8th-overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and hit the ice with the Sabres beginning that very same year. When the front office and coaching staff were dismissed, Ristolainen would eventually be sent to the "safe-haven" that was Rochester as Buffalo was about to embark on an ugly drop to the bottom of the league.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Takeaways from the Vesey vid. On the Foligno signing. Plus...
While Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray isn't losing any sleep knowing that the team made a solid pitch to Jimmy Vesey, the hockey world is still interested in the 23 yr. old who is locked in on an August 15th date with free agency. CSN Boston's Joe Haggerty met with a somewhat uncomfortable Vesey for a nine minute interview yesterday after a workout session in Foxboro.
Haggerty tried to keep it light throughout, but it's a pretty heavy subject for a guy who shunned the team that drafted him (Nashville) and has the most important career decision of his life coming in mid-August. Vesey touched on free agency, his respect for the Buffalo contingent he met with, on Boston definitely being on his short list of teams, and how he's taking advantage of a loophole in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows him this unique opportunity.
Being in Boston with a Bruins beat writer naturally brought out the homerism as Haggerty asked Vesey if there were any favorite players he'd heard from to, you know, give Bruins GM Don Sweeney a heads-up on who he might want to attend the eventual meeting. Haggerty even invoked the name Tom Brady, the patron saint of chowdah heads, as a reference point. Vesey could've gone number of ways from Milan Lucic to Raymond Borque to Team President Cam Neely but none of those were came out.
Vesey mentioned Joe Thornton as his favorite Boston Bruin and that he wears No. 19 because of him. That had to be a bit awkward.
Other than that, the only other thing worth noting is that Vesey likes Italian food. It's a homebody staple.
Just a head's up to the Sabres, should they get another sit-down with Vesey this time in Buffalo, they might want to reserve a table at Chef's in Buffalo or Como in Niagara Falls or a homey spot like Frank's Sunny Italy. You know, just to make Vesey feel at home.
**********
The Sabres signed forward Marcus Foligno to a 1 yr./$2.25M contract yesterday which is the same salary he had last season.
Foligno came on rather strong later in the season while playing on the team's most consistent line with Johan Larsson at center and captain Brian Gionta on the other wing. It's pretty obvious this is a show-me year for Foligno as he'll need to start bringing every facet of his power forward game to the ice night-in/night-out.
As mentioned in his player re-cap for 2015-16, "Foligno is what he is, so there aren't too many questions save for, how far can he take his role? Can he become like a "Mule," ala Detroit's Johan Franson, and up his intensity-level to the point where he and his 6'3" 222lb. frame simply won't be denied? Will his stick-work around the net improve to the point where he can reach and maintain a 15-goal/30-point level? Is he prepared to take on more of the big bruisers in the league like Radko Gudas and Tom Wilson when necessary? "
**********
I'd assumed he'd get a raise, but the contract Murray and assistant GM Mark Jakubowski signed him to is even better as it helps the team with their cap this season. As mentioned before, the Sabres haven't had to keep the NHL's salary cap in mind for quite some time but this year, they'll be butting up against it.
A quick take on their status using various cap-sites put them at just under $60M before the Foligno signing. With him in the fold the Sabres have two more restricted free agents to sign--Rasmus Ristolainen and Zemgus Girgensons--and are now at about $62M, or $11M under the league's $73M salary-cap ceiling.
Which leaves plenty of room to sign Risto, Gus and Vesey and add two depth players at the league minimum.
Haggerty tried to keep it light throughout, but it's a pretty heavy subject for a guy who shunned the team that drafted him (Nashville) and has the most important career decision of his life coming in mid-August. Vesey touched on free agency, his respect for the Buffalo contingent he met with, on Boston definitely being on his short list of teams, and how he's taking advantage of a loophole in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows him this unique opportunity.
Being in Boston with a Bruins beat writer naturally brought out the homerism as Haggerty asked Vesey if there were any favorite players he'd heard from to, you know, give Bruins GM Don Sweeney a heads-up on who he might want to attend the eventual meeting. Haggerty even invoked the name Tom Brady, the patron saint of chowdah heads, as a reference point. Vesey could've gone number of ways from Milan Lucic to Raymond Borque to Team President Cam Neely but none of those were came out.
Vesey mentioned Joe Thornton as his favorite Boston Bruin and that he wears No. 19 because of him. That had to be a bit awkward.
Other than that, the only other thing worth noting is that Vesey likes Italian food. It's a homebody staple.
Just a head's up to the Sabres, should they get another sit-down with Vesey this time in Buffalo, they might want to reserve a table at Chef's in Buffalo or Como in Niagara Falls or a homey spot like Frank's Sunny Italy. You know, just to make Vesey feel at home.
**********
The Sabres signed forward Marcus Foligno to a 1 yr./$2.25M contract yesterday which is the same salary he had last season.
Foligno came on rather strong later in the season while playing on the team's most consistent line with Johan Larsson at center and captain Brian Gionta on the other wing. It's pretty obvious this is a show-me year for Foligno as he'll need to start bringing every facet of his power forward game to the ice night-in/night-out.
As mentioned in his player re-cap for 2015-16, "Foligno is what he is, so there aren't too many questions save for, how far can he take his role? Can he become like a "Mule," ala Detroit's Johan Franson, and up his intensity-level to the point where he and his 6'3" 222lb. frame simply won't be denied? Will his stick-work around the net improve to the point where he can reach and maintain a 15-goal/30-point level? Is he prepared to take on more of the big bruisers in the league like Radko Gudas and Tom Wilson when necessary? "
**********
I'd assumed he'd get a raise, but the contract Murray and assistant GM Mark Jakubowski signed him to is even better as it helps the team with their cap this season. As mentioned before, the Sabres haven't had to keep the NHL's salary cap in mind for quite some time but this year, they'll be butting up against it.
A quick take on their status using various cap-sites put them at just under $60M before the Foligno signing. With him in the fold the Sabres have two more restricted free agents to sign--Rasmus Ristolainen and Zemgus Girgensons--and are now at about $62M, or $11M under the league's $73M salary-cap ceiling.
Which leaves plenty of room to sign Risto, Gus and Vesey and add two depth players at the league minimum.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
February 27, wasn't the only deadline for the organization
There's another deadline tomorrow at 3PM for the Amerks. But more on that in a bit.
We're nearly a week removed from the 2012 NHL trade deadline, and the Sabres are making some noise by stringing together three west coast victories putting them two points out of the 8th spot in the east.
It's a far cry from January when the team was in the midst of a franchise record 12-game losing streak and they had a 0.3% chance (according to sportsclubstats) of making the playoffs. It's a far cry from early February as well when the team went on a four-game winless streak and looked to be cooked once again.
Even last week, the moves that Darcy Regier made at the trade deadline, especially Paul Gaustad and a 2013 4th-rounder for a 2012 1st-round pick, had the look of a retool.
Safe to say that almost everyone was looking in that direction.
Kevin Oklobzija covers the Rochester Americans for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. And he was thinking the same thing when he wrote this about Regier, "The best part of what Regier did today," he wrote, "He made a very realistic assessment of the Sabres’ chances to earn a playoff berth and knows they’re probably done. He’d never say that, but the deals indicate that was his thinking."
Oklobzija breaks down the day along with "Regieran" attributes that happened to work, like holding out for a first round pick for Gaustad. The bottom line: Regier, the "Texas Hold'em player," landed his "pair of Jacks" on the draw. He moved a 7th-round pick for a first rounder, landed a top-six center with skill, but lost grit and toughness, the latter a move that was necessary.
Unbeknownst to a lot of hockey fans (myself included) the AHL deadline is 3pm tomorrow. Oklobzija forsees the possibility of some moves for the Amerks, especially with the number of defensemen on the team.
According to Oklobzija, Regier will be on a conference call today with Amerks Head Coach Ron Rolston, Assistant to the General Manager, Mark Jakubowski and Head of Amateur Scouting, Kevin Devine.
Oklobzija says that "While Regier has the final say on all matters hockey within the organization, Devine oversees operations in Rochester. (Yes, he needs an amendment to his job title; his duties span well beyond just amateur scouting.")
It's not something that's official on the registrar, but Regier referred to Devine as "our Director of...Assistant General Manager who still oversees our scouting," on WGR two Friday's ago.
The Amerks are looking to bolster their team for the playoffs. After a win last night at Toronto, the Amreks are one point out of the final playoff spot. A mere two points separates the #6 seed and the #11 seed right now.
It will be interesting to see what Devine does at his first "trade deadline."
Another interesting note that came out of Oklobzija's article was that the Sabres put in a waiver-claim on the Minnesota Wild's Brad Staubitz. An undrafted free agent signing by the San Jose' Sharks back in 2005, Staubitz has got some size--6'1", 215lbs--and had some attitude ta boot. Montreal, who had the worse record, made the claim and received the services of Staubitz. He is a free agent at the end of the season.
All-in-all a great week for the Sabres organization with Regier wheeling-and-dealing, the team pulling off an improbable three-game west coast win-streak and the Amerks looking to bolster their roster for the stretch-run to the playoffs.
We're nearly a week removed from the 2012 NHL trade deadline, and the Sabres are making some noise by stringing together three west coast victories putting them two points out of the 8th spot in the east.
It's a far cry from January when the team was in the midst of a franchise record 12-game losing streak and they had a 0.3% chance (according to sportsclubstats) of making the playoffs. It's a far cry from early February as well when the team went on a four-game winless streak and looked to be cooked once again.
Even last week, the moves that Darcy Regier made at the trade deadline, especially Paul Gaustad and a 2013 4th-rounder for a 2012 1st-round pick, had the look of a retool.
Safe to say that almost everyone was looking in that direction.
Kevin Oklobzija covers the Rochester Americans for the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. And he was thinking the same thing when he wrote this about Regier, "The best part of what Regier did today," he wrote, "He made a very realistic assessment of the Sabres’ chances to earn a playoff berth and knows they’re probably done. He’d never say that, but the deals indicate that was his thinking."
Oklobzija breaks down the day along with "Regieran" attributes that happened to work, like holding out for a first round pick for Gaustad. The bottom line: Regier, the "Texas Hold'em player," landed his "pair of Jacks" on the draw. He moved a 7th-round pick for a first rounder, landed a top-six center with skill, but lost grit and toughness, the latter a move that was necessary.
Unbeknownst to a lot of hockey fans (myself included) the AHL deadline is 3pm tomorrow. Oklobzija forsees the possibility of some moves for the Amerks, especially with the number of defensemen on the team.
According to Oklobzija, Regier will be on a conference call today with Amerks Head Coach Ron Rolston, Assistant to the General Manager, Mark Jakubowski and Head of Amateur Scouting, Kevin Devine.
Oklobzija says that "While Regier has the final say on all matters hockey within the organization, Devine oversees operations in Rochester. (Yes, he needs an amendment to his job title; his duties span well beyond just amateur scouting.")
It's not something that's official on the registrar, but Regier referred to Devine as "our Director of...Assistant General Manager who still oversees our scouting," on WGR two Friday's ago.
The Amerks are looking to bolster their team for the playoffs. After a win last night at Toronto, the Amreks are one point out of the final playoff spot. A mere two points separates the #6 seed and the #11 seed right now.
It will be interesting to see what Devine does at his first "trade deadline."
Another interesting note that came out of Oklobzija's article was that the Sabres put in a waiver-claim on the Minnesota Wild's Brad Staubitz. An undrafted free agent signing by the San Jose' Sharks back in 2005, Staubitz has got some size--6'1", 215lbs--and had some attitude ta boot. Montreal, who had the worse record, made the claim and received the services of Staubitz. He is a free agent at the end of the season.
All-in-all a great week for the Sabres organization with Regier wheeling-and-dealing, the team pulling off an improbable three-game west coast win-streak and the Amerks looking to bolster their roster for the stretch-run to the playoffs.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
For Those Of You Jonesing For Any Sabres News
With Buffalo having almost finished their off-season check-list, Sabres news is pretty hard to come by these days.
Of the newsworthy options out there, you could delve into the world of high drama and worry yourself to death over the debt-ceiling.
You could spend hours watching ESPN as big shots on both sides of a $9B NFL-quarrel leave football fans biting their nails wondering when the season will start (too bad the NFL and NFLPA will lock-out pre-1993 retirees from any benefits that will make their lives a bit manageable.)
The Women's World Cup Soccer Team did great (I happened to catch the Brazil game as well as a good chunk of the Japan match and both were thrilling,) the Pittsburgh Pirates were in first place for a couple of days (something that hasn't happened this late in the MLB season for decades) and Tiger Woods fired his caddie. All stories that momentarily pique interest, but cannot fill the void.
In Buffalo, the goalie debate has begun (in fans minds) as Jhonas Enroth signed for two years. Andrej "Rej" Sekera signed a four year deal for $2.75M/year, much to the consternation of many Sabres fans. And former Sabres Clark MacArthur and Tim Connolly cashed in big time with the Maple Leafs which is always great blogger-fodder.
The only thing left to do on the Sabres list is re-sign RFA d-man Marc-Andre Gragnani. With the team being around $4M over the cap ceiling this off season, eventually they'll need to jettison some salary and moves will need to be made before the season opener.
For now, though, as we cool off from 100+ heat indexes caused by a heat-dome over much of the Midwest and east coast, there's really not much going on in Sabre-land.
Jonesing for some Sabres-related news? Here are a few articles to chew on while wondering why there always needs to be drama, posturing, dread and fear in the headline news.
Jim Fink of Buffalo Business Journal says that Terry Pegula's spending spree may cause the billionaire owner/fan to "drill another well".
So far, Uncle Terry has committed over $120M to remaking the Sabres organization from re-signing Head Coach Lindy Ruff to flying to Saskatchewan to woo Robyn Regehr.
Fink touches on the well known aspects of Pegula's spending spree like $100M+ in players contracts doled out recently and underscores the fact that Pegula underwrote the Alumni/Fan Appreciation gathering and the Rick Martin Tribute.
But one thing that may have eluded many is the pricetag for the renovation of the Sabres locker room, with Pegula "Spending, according to Buffalo City Hall records, $6 million on renovating the Sabres locker room and training facilities at HSBC Arena."
Yowza!
I highly doubt that Uncle Terry will need to drill anytime soon, though. A return of 5% on his $3B worth would yeild $150M. More than enough cover for his spending spree out-of-pocket.
This truly is uncharted waters for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans.
Former Minnesota Golden Gopher, Thomas Vanek, spent this past Wednesday playing hockey with the likes of Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils,) Kyle Okposo (NY Islanders,) Paul Martin (Pittsburgh Penguins,) and Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks.)
Patrick Johnson of the South Washington County Bulletin covered the first-ever [Derek] Stepan/[Taylor] Chorney/[Jeff]Taffe NHL Players Charity Hockey Game. The event was held in the Cottage Grove Ice Arena, Cottage Grove, MN where 1500 fans packed the arena to watch and meet over 30 NHL players, including Vanek.
Among the group of players contributing their time and goodwill was United States Hockey Hall of Fame and Buffalo Hall of Fame Member Phil Housley. Housley, who was born in St. Paul, MN is a coach for the Stillwater Ponies High School hockey team in Washington County.
Tickets for the event were $25 pre-sale. (Boing!)
(shrugs)
That's the roomer from this Vancouver paper.
We're all familiar with the glut of wingers on the Sabres. We also know that the Sabres will be over the cap by at around $4M after re-signing Gragnani. Even if they demote Ales Kotalik and Shaone Morrisonn and rid themselves of their $5M in salary, the team will be too close to the cap for comfort and another move will need to be made.
Jason Brough of The Province makes the case for Boyes to Vancouver for a draft pick saying that the team could use a right-handed sniper and could clear cap-space to get Boyes. Disregard (as the author did) the fact that Brough made a case for Chris Drury to the 'Nucks as well.
Boyes' weak playoff performance vs. the Flyers would justify the Sabres moving him. Although getting a draft-pick in return would be OK, maybe it would be better to somehow finagle the deal so that Cody Hodgson, who seems to be on the out and is a player we wouldn't mind bringing in, would be part of the return.
Regardless, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for Vancouver, but, hey, if they want to, I'm sure Darcy Regier and company would be willing.
Finally, I don't know about you, but I consider Jhonas Enroth's $675K per year salary a steal for the Sabres.
No Sabres back-up since Martin Biron has instilled the a sense of confidence from the crease like Enroth did last season.
Case in point.
Last season Enroth played 14 games, went 9-2-2 with a 2.73 gaa and a .907 sv%. The year before, Patrick Lalime played in 16 games as a back-up. He went 4-8-2 with a 2.81 gaa and a .907 sv%.
Almost identical stats, but much different results.
The fact that the team negotiated a deal that was only $25K higher than Lalime's salary is fascinating. The fact that Darcy Regier wasn't at the table is intriguing.
According to WGR, Sabres' Assistant To the General Mangager Mark Jakubowski was involved in the negotiations with Enroth and his agent.
Who!?
You know, Mark Jakubowski, the guy who's spent the last three years as Regier's assistant? The former Director of Hockey Administration for the team? The guy who's yet to have a wiki page?
From the 2010/11 Sabres Media Guide:
Mark Jakubowski begins his sixth year with the Sabres and third as the Assistant to the General Manager. His responsibilities include statistical and salary cap analysis, contract research relating to player negotiations and arbitrations, managing player transfers, team roster administration, and all matters relating to compliance with the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement and other NHL agreements. Jakubowski also assists with the American Hockey League hockey operations of the team’s minor league affiliate, the Portland Pirates. Jakubowski graduated with an economics degree from the University of Rochester, where he also played baseball. He resides in Hamburg, NY.
This is the first time I've heard a name other than Regier involved in contract negotiations for the Sabres (no, you can't use Larry Quinn here.)
If this is Jakubowski's first contract, all I can say is, nice work.
Peace.
Of the newsworthy options out there, you could delve into the world of high drama and worry yourself to death over the debt-ceiling.
You could spend hours watching ESPN as big shots on both sides of a $9B NFL-quarrel leave football fans biting their nails wondering when the season will start (too bad the NFL and NFLPA will lock-out pre-1993 retirees from any benefits that will make their lives a bit manageable.)
The Women's World Cup Soccer Team did great (I happened to catch the Brazil game as well as a good chunk of the Japan match and both were thrilling,) the Pittsburgh Pirates were in first place for a couple of days (something that hasn't happened this late in the MLB season for decades) and Tiger Woods fired his caddie. All stories that momentarily pique interest, but cannot fill the void.
In Buffalo, the goalie debate has begun (in fans minds) as Jhonas Enroth signed for two years. Andrej "Rej" Sekera signed a four year deal for $2.75M/year, much to the consternation of many Sabres fans. And former Sabres Clark MacArthur and Tim Connolly cashed in big time with the Maple Leafs which is always great blogger-fodder.
The only thing left to do on the Sabres list is re-sign RFA d-man Marc-Andre Gragnani. With the team being around $4M over the cap ceiling this off season, eventually they'll need to jettison some salary and moves will need to be made before the season opener.
For now, though, as we cool off from 100+ heat indexes caused by a heat-dome over much of the Midwest and east coast, there's really not much going on in Sabre-land.
Jonesing for some Sabres-related news? Here are a few articles to chew on while wondering why there always needs to be drama, posturing, dread and fear in the headline news.
Terry Pegula's Having Himself a Good Time
Jim Fink of Buffalo Business Journal says that Terry Pegula's spending spree may cause the billionaire owner/fan to "drill another well".
So far, Uncle Terry has committed over $120M to remaking the Sabres organization from re-signing Head Coach Lindy Ruff to flying to Saskatchewan to woo Robyn Regehr.
Fink touches on the well known aspects of Pegula's spending spree like $100M+ in players contracts doled out recently and underscores the fact that Pegula underwrote the Alumni/Fan Appreciation gathering and the Rick Martin Tribute.
But one thing that may have eluded many is the pricetag for the renovation of the Sabres locker room, with Pegula "Spending, according to Buffalo City Hall records, $6 million on renovating the Sabres locker room and training facilities at HSBC Arena."
Yowza!
I highly doubt that Uncle Terry will need to drill anytime soon, though. A return of 5% on his $3B worth would yeild $150M. More than enough cover for his spending spree out-of-pocket.
This truly is uncharted waters for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans.
Thomas Vanek Joins Some Pretty Big Names In Minnesota For Charity Event
Former Minnesota Golden Gopher, Thomas Vanek, spent this past Wednesday playing hockey with the likes of Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils,) Kyle Okposo (NY Islanders,) Paul Martin (Pittsburgh Penguins,) and Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks.)
Patrick Johnson of the South Washington County Bulletin covered the first-ever [Derek] Stepan/[Taylor] Chorney/[Jeff]Taffe NHL Players Charity Hockey Game. The event was held in the Cottage Grove Ice Arena, Cottage Grove, MN where 1500 fans packed the arena to watch and meet over 30 NHL players, including Vanek.
Among the group of players contributing their time and goodwill was United States Hockey Hall of Fame and Buffalo Hall of Fame Member Phil Housley. Housley, who was born in St. Paul, MN is a coach for the Stillwater Ponies High School hockey team in Washington County.
Tickets for the event were $25 pre-sale. (Boing!)
Brad Boyes On the Move To Vancouver?
(shrugs)
That's the roomer from this Vancouver paper.
We're all familiar with the glut of wingers on the Sabres. We also know that the Sabres will be over the cap by at around $4M after re-signing Gragnani. Even if they demote Ales Kotalik and Shaone Morrisonn and rid themselves of their $5M in salary, the team will be too close to the cap for comfort and another move will need to be made.
Jason Brough of The Province makes the case for Boyes to Vancouver for a draft pick saying that the team could use a right-handed sniper and could clear cap-space to get Boyes. Disregard (as the author did) the fact that Brough made a case for Chris Drury to the 'Nucks as well.
Boyes' weak playoff performance vs. the Flyers would justify the Sabres moving him. Although getting a draft-pick in return would be OK, maybe it would be better to somehow finagle the deal so that Cody Hodgson, who seems to be on the out and is a player we wouldn't mind bringing in, would be part of the return.
Regardless, it doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for Vancouver, but, hey, if they want to, I'm sure Darcy Regier and company would be willing.
Who Did the Work On the Jhonas Enroth Contract?
Finally, I don't know about you, but I consider Jhonas Enroth's $675K per year salary a steal for the Sabres.
No Sabres back-up since Martin Biron has instilled the a sense of confidence from the crease like Enroth did last season.
Case in point.
Last season Enroth played 14 games, went 9-2-2 with a 2.73 gaa and a .907 sv%. The year before, Patrick Lalime played in 16 games as a back-up. He went 4-8-2 with a 2.81 gaa and a .907 sv%.
Almost identical stats, but much different results.
The fact that the team negotiated a deal that was only $25K higher than Lalime's salary is fascinating. The fact that Darcy Regier wasn't at the table is intriguing.
According to WGR, Sabres' Assistant To the General Mangager Mark Jakubowski was involved in the negotiations with Enroth and his agent.
Who!?
You know, Mark Jakubowski, the guy who's spent the last three years as Regier's assistant? The former Director of Hockey Administration for the team? The guy who's yet to have a wiki page?
From the 2010/11 Sabres Media Guide:
Mark Jakubowski begins his sixth year with the Sabres and third as the Assistant to the General Manager. His responsibilities include statistical and salary cap analysis, contract research relating to player negotiations and arbitrations, managing player transfers, team roster administration, and all matters relating to compliance with the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement and other NHL agreements. Jakubowski also assists with the American Hockey League hockey operations of the team’s minor league affiliate, the Portland Pirates. Jakubowski graduated with an economics degree from the University of Rochester, where he also played baseball. He resides in Hamburg, NY.
This is the first time I've heard a name other than Regier involved in contract negotiations for the Sabres (no, you can't use Larry Quinn here.)
If this is Jakubowski's first contract, all I can say is, nice work.
Peace.
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