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The smell of sarcasm is thick in here. Phew.

That won't appreicably lower the cap hit. The deferred money (if it's spelled out exactly what he'll get in years 9+) will lower the hit SLIGHTLY as for cap purposes the money would have its NPV in each of those years calculated and used in the cap hit calculation. And if it's that $1MM (or $2MM as the case may be) of today's money will be defered until later regardless of the vehicle it is parked in; then there won't be any cap savings as the cap gets charged the full face value of the deferred money. Also, realize, and expect that you do, am stating this for people reading that aren't particularly familiar with the CBA & MOUs, that the deferred money would get paid out to him in those future years regardless of his contract situation (aka whether he were still playing & regardless as to whether it was still as a Sabre or not). Other than for the look of it (hey, this guy's getting money after the contract is over, this must be circumvention; even though when you actually look at it, it isn't circumvention and every $ gets accounted for in the cap in the season it is earned) not sure why the players let the owners get rid of it. It gives guys the external discipline of living on less money than they really have and gives them a pretty significant income in their post playing years. Yes, if you have a good financial advisor you're likely better off having the money now rather than later; but a lot of these guys never went to college and it isn't always easy to figure out what advisor to trust. (All sorts of horror stories of bands, actors, and athletes getting swindled by people they trusted. They aren't the rule, but there's enough that they need to be ware.)

Fine, I'll be in for union pub, if I can find it lol (hello Google maps) I'm still a big fan of the 1970s club in the area for bang for your buck and big variety of good eats

Just general muscle aches/soreness/tightness....father time has spoken, just trying to slow down the inevitable 😩😂 Been trying to swim a mile, 3 days a week since I can't really run/cycle with this calf thing. But mannnnn it's been a slog.

Was meant to be a thumbs down more than a red X Its more that I disagree with what you are saying because I wouldn't like the result it could possibly bring. It's quite literally just 2 lines. I don't want the PA or players to play the games that this would involve. I want players to be invested in winning at nigh-any cost and doing whatever it takes to do that; not trying to be "performers" merely looking to entertain to the masses. The younger masses, as a whole, are predominately low attention span holding idiots that require instant gratification and a constant stream of it to be made "entertained." You play to WIN the game, and anything less than that is a travesty. As for the last line, the terms you lay out would be effectively oxymoronic. For the PA to maximize profit and avoid the need to judge a hit's legality they would merely take it away entirely. Why spend time and money in additional staffing and/or rules when banning it would be cheaper and easier? Thankfully the usually troublesome dinosaurs of old hockey are still in control mainly so we can enjoy hitting and physicality but once you start to play in the sandbox of protecting players for less easily defined hits than the likes of "hits to the head" or "charging" you will quickly fall into a pit of generalities until the rules just can't compute any longer. I'd give Tuch this option. 8 years x 10mil However I'm deferring some money to lower the cap hit to 9.466mil AAV He'd get 8mil per year for years 1 through 8 1 mil from each year would be deferred to his a Year 9 giving him a 9th year with 8 mil 500k from each year would be deferred to his a Year 10 giving him 4mil then 500k from each year would be deferred to be paid exactly 10 year later so for instance Year 5's 500k would go to Year 15 Gives him 9 years 8mil, 1 year 4mil and 8 years of 500k

Honestly, I just can’t wrap my head around such injustice.

Maybe, but there is another side to it. If Tuch is going to be dealt at the deadline, there is a chance any team trading for him will want to work out an extension. As is the case, the Sabres could allow Tuch to talk to those teams before a trade is complete. Now take that to the next step. There are a LOT of pending free agents right now in Tuchs spot (on last year of deal) and there has been very little movement on any of them, meaning the Sabres 'thinking' on the situation is not different than most other teams. So, lets take this to the deadline where the Sabres have not re-signed him and have to trade him. Any other team will be facing the same dilemna the Sabres are....do you Trade for Tuch (give up ANY asset) for the honor of paying a guy maybe $10+ million long term, on a deal that will start when he is over 30 years old and likely already slightly declining? Its not just the Sabres problem that he may not be worth that much at the deadline, it is Tuchs problem that the best deal he may get will be what he gets NOW from the Sabres and as time ticks away, the $$$s on a long term deal may be declining (or at least harder to get). I really think what is holding this up is simply ever agent representing a guy going into the last year of the deal doens't want to be the one to have his guy 'sign first'. It can be agent career-suicide to sign first, and then every guy AFTER your guy gets a better deal in this rising cap environment.

Cozens was rushed and the kid line as your 2nd line was stupid, Risto was rushed, Meyers was definitely rushed. There's a list and it doesn't matter. The main thing on all of them is minutes, roles, and responsibilities. Power for example should have had less minutes and sheltered minutes along with more one on one coaching. Since we didn't have veterans to mentor him on ice we should have hired an assistant to work with him one on one. Jay McKee would have been good for example. They placed him 2nd pairing and he saw big minutes as a rookie. It was stupid and that's the definition of "rushed". Scoring stats don't matter for rookie D either. It's about learning D.

I feel you but am undecided on this. Helenius is more NHL ready than other prospects so if he earns it I have a hard time holding him back. I want to see Doan show something. I do not want him on the roster simply to validate a trade. I want to see something out of him that says he deserves a spot. If Helenius is markedly better than Doan I'm going Helenius.

Rasmus Dahlin: 9g, 35a in his rookie year. So no. Power went back to college, should he have gone back? Quinn was one of the best players in the AHL before he was called up. Levi was certainly rushed.

He has already passed Rosen and is quite a bit younger and able to play C or W.

Yes, he is ready to retire and will very soon. He would have stayed on longer to boost his pension had he been promoted.

Contracts CAN NOT get "redone" in the NHL. Thompson is locked in through the deal and cannot sign another contract until July 1 of the last season of the deal. That contract would take effect when the current 1 expires.

It’s quoting an athletic report from Pierre Lebrun. NHL contracts cannot be undone. Tage is getting $7M for another 5 years in deal that Tuch probably doesn’t want to repeat.

Power was in D + 1 since he went to college; rarely does any 1st overall pick wait a year much less more Dahlin was fine his rookie year Quinn was an oddity, he had tore up the AHL the previous year and while weak in the playoff had been a game breaker in the regular season Levi needed AHL time after college but I will forever believe his agent forced our hand there in at least some part.

Without getting traded, he can ONLY get an 8 year deal from the Sabres. And IF as a condition of running the playoff BF-LTIR rules into this season, the 6/7 rule kicks in July 1 rather than mid-September then if he walks to FA then he can only get a 6 year deal from anybody. (Expecting that won't happen; but until they finalize the revisions to the implementation of the new MOU to the CBA, it is possible.)

Oh Tuch clearly has all the leverage and I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Where I’m coming from assumes 2 things: Tuch wants to stay more than he wants to maximize his contract; and the Sabres aren’t playing hardball in terms of the current market. Which, IMO was set artificially low by Elhers. I think if Tuch wants $9M over 8 years it would be done. The question is determining how much more than that he could get as an UFA under the new reality and the answer is no one really knows. Is he going to take $9M and watch Kempe sign a UFA deal for $12M this summer?

I never heard of this site. Is anyone legit behind it? Also, if Tuch gets double-digits, won't they have to redo Tage's deal soon?

with the whom now?

Excellent post. You presented a clear analysis of the contract issue from player and organization perspectives. I'm confident that a deal will be made but as you point out it is tricky balancing the needs of the player with the needs of the organization. And as what was brought up in another post (I believe from you or @dudacek??) that there is a difference between Byrum's and his situation. Byrum went for the shorter term recognizing that he is not in his prime just yet so a later deal would make sense for him. In contrast, Tuch is in his prime now and his future play most likely will level down some. It seems to me that it makes sense for Tuch to get a longer deal now so that when his game slides down he will already be locked in with his contract.

It must be hard for him.

It's the Sabres who are in a difficult spot. If they can't come to terms with Tuch before the trade deadline they will have to give up one of the best players on the team for whatever they can get. No one want's to do that again. Tuch is going to double his salary but you have that pesky Skinner buyout to work around next year. After that it gets better, but can they structure a Tuch Contract that works around that? No way Tuch does not go for a 7 or 8 year deal somewhere. Sure players decline but good players last longer than not so good ones. If Bennett could sign 8x8. A year later I would think Tuch is closer to 9 x8. The long term does not bother me with Tuch because he will find a way to make him self useful until the end of his career. Some how some way I think this gets done. If not it is going to be worse than it is now at Key Bank center.

But that's not what I was commenting on. It was the absurdity that Jackson was ***** off pre game and caused them to lose. This is nonsense.

They have that amusing, non self aware segment - as I'm sure Bills Mafia does - who are apt to say things like (super Maryland accent): "Yeah, I love Lamar, man, but there was something about Flacco that I just love more ... just something I can't put my finger on ... . Man, I miss that guy."

Yeah, the Ravens fanbase has quickly become one of my least favorites. The national media doesn't bother me, though. I think you might be reading too much into that.