Connolly extension?

[bflobarry]

Repeat after me: the Sabres are cash-strapped, not cap-strapped. We have nearly $6 million in cap space right now, but our salary is at the internal budget. If we sign Connolly for anywhere near that $5 million per year that you suggest, then we will not be signing any other centers (in fact, given our other contracts even signing that one would require an increase in the internal budget.) That means if Connolly gets hurt, even if he goes on LTIR, we won't have the cash to bring in anyone else and Hecht will be our #2 center (unless Kennedy becomes an NHL scoring-line center capable soon.) That's "so what".

He's making $3 mil now, if it went to $5, that w/b an increase of $2mil, not $5mil, fwiw.....I'd sign him.

[carpandean]

He's making $3 mil now, if it went to $5, that w/b an increase of $2mil, not $5mil, fwiw.....I'd sign him.

Miller and Pominville have big raises for next year already on the books that will eat up most of what is freed up by Connolly, Kotalik and Max (assuming none of them is re-signed.) Stafford and Sekera also both need to be re-signed and will be due raises. Even without signing Connolly (or any other scoring-line center besides Roy), filling that roster slot with a current Pirate, we will likely be over $50 million next year. Giving him $5 million would put us several million above where we are this season, requiring a significant increase in the internal budget. There's no way that they sign Connolly for anything near that and bring in anyone else as a backup plan.