X. Benedict Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 He's basically doing everything Pominville isn't. And I like it. Maybe someone needs to flip Pommer's switch? :clapping: Maybe he can get un-concussed. He's been better in the last days than the last weeks. He'll get his twenty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kishoph Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 Maybe he can get un-concussed. He's been better in the last days than the last weeks. He'll get his twenty. At $5 Million a year, he needs to do better than 20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robviously Posted February 9, 2011 Report Share Posted February 9, 2011 At $5 Million a year, he needs to do better than 20. Considering he got a bruise on his brain three games into the season, 20 goals isn't that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJBuffalo Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Why does everyone say we either need to trade or resign Stafford ASAP. He is a RFA. We can tender him at the end of the year and see if he can maintain this pace next year which would be another contract year. :thumbsup: IMO i don't see any team offering an outrageous contract and risk losing 4 first round picks, if we give him highest tender, especially knowing that very few teams have cap room. GMs, especially Regier, are like poker players and dont react emotionally like us fans do. He will not rush to trade or resign a hot player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunomatic Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Why does everyone say we either need to trade or resign Stafford ASAP. He is a RFA. We can tender him at the end of the year and see if he can maintain this pace next year which would be another contract year. :thumbsup: IMO i don't see any team offering an outrageous contract and risk losing 4 first round picks, if we give him highest tender, especially knowing that very few teams have cap room. GMs, especially Regier, are like poker players and dont react emotionally like us fans do. He will not rush to trade or resign a hot player. Regier moves at glacial speed. He ain't going to rush on any deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eleven Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Why does everyone say we either need to trade or resign Stafford ASAP. He is a RFA. We can tender him at the end of the year and see if he can maintain this pace next year which would be another contract year. :thumbsup: IMO i don't see any team offering an outrageous contract and risk losing 4 first round picks.... This is just starting to gain traction with me. The idea that some team might give him a big offer, thereby giving the team a ton of picks, isn't hurting that view. I'm still somewhat skeptical of his suddenly good performance in a contract year. I'm starting to want him around through June, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Why does everyone say we either need to trade or resign Stafford ASAP. He is a RFA. We can tender him at the end of the year and see if he can maintain this pace next year which would be another contract year. :thumbsup: IMO i don't see any team offering an outrageous contract and risk losing 4 first round picks, if we give him highest tender, especially knowing that very few teams have cap room. GMs, especially Regier, are like poker players and dont react emotionally like us fans do. He will not rush to trade or resign a hot player. They'll qualify him, but that doesn't mean he has to accept it. If they don't make some sort of move towards signing him, he'll go to arbitration, then the numbers are completely out of Buffalo's hands. Not many teams want to go that route with players anymore after the constantly inflated deals that have been handed out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Why does everyone say we either need to trade or resign Stafford ASAP. He is a RFA. We can tender him at the end of the year and see if he can maintain this pace next year which would be another contract year. :thumbsup: IMO i don't see any team offering an outrageous contract and risk losing 4 first round picks, if we give him highest tender, especially knowing that very few teams have cap room. GMs, especially Regier, are like poker players and dont react emotionally like us fans do. He will not rush to trade or resign a hot player. They'll qualify him, but that doesn't mean he has to accept it. If they don't make some sort of move towards signing him, he'll go to arbitration, then the numbers are completely out of Buffalo's hands. Not many teams want to go that route with players anymore after the constantly inflated deals that have been handed out. Good call. The other reason to sign him to an extension now, of course, is that he will be a UFA after next season. If he finishes with 30+ this year and the same next year, someone will give him an out-of-sight contract, he'll be gone, and the Sabres will be left with nada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Good call. The other reason to sign him to an extension now, of course, is that he will be a UFA after next season. If he finishes with 30+ this year and the same next year, someone will give him an out-of-sight contract, he'll be gone, and the Sabres will be left with nada. Pegula doesn't change the thinking here that the Sabres will be able go to bat to keep their best players at market prices? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Pegula doesn't change the thinking here that the Sabres will be able go to bat to keep their best players at market prices? Possibly, but (i) he'll be free at that point to go whereever he wants, which likely won't be Buffalo no matter how much $$ they offer him and (ii) with 29 other teams, someone will throw a whacked-out offer at him which the Sabres would be foolish to match or beat, since it would handcuff them in doing other things. If they want to keep him, the prudent move is to give him an extension this summer -- not to wait until he's a month or 2 (or less) from UFA status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spndnchz Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 They'll qualify him, but that doesn't mean he has to accept it. If they don't make some sort of move towards signing him, he'll go to arbitration, then the numbers are completely out of Buffalo's hands. Not many teams want to go that route with players anymore after the constantly inflated deals that have been handed out. This. Good call. The other reason to sign him to an extension now, of course, is that he will be a UFA after next season. If he finishes with 30+ this year and the same next year, someone will give him an out-of-sight contract, he'll be gone, and the Sabres will be left with nada. This. Pegula doesn't change the thinking here that the Sabres will be able go to bat to keep their best players at market prices? Does Pegula change the thinking here that the players will sign below market value contracts to stay with this team? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PASabreFan Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Possibly, but (i) he'll be free at that point to go whereever he wants, which likely won't be Buffalo no matter how much $ they offer him and (ii) with 29 other teams, someone will throw a whacked-out offer at him which the Sabres would be foolish to match or beat, since it would handcuff them in doing other things. If they want to keep him, the prudent move is to give him an extension this summer -- not to wait until he's a month or 2 (or less) from UFA status. Well I would think that the culture change (rebranding?) that Pegula might have in mind might make Buffalo such a destination, possibly. See: Michigan, Detroit. Damn, when is the Pegula presser!? I guess the same answer would go to chz's question. If Buffalo becomes a top place to play in the league, and often gives players a chance to win the Cup, you could see the hometown discount come into play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korab rules Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Possibly, but (i) he'll be free at that point to go whereever he wants, which likely won't be Buffalo no matter how much $$ they offer him and (ii) with 29 other teams, someone will throw a whacked-out offer at him which the Sabres would be foolish to match or beat, since it would handcuff them in doing other things. If they want to keep him, the prudent move is to give him an extension this summer -- not to wait until he's a month or 2 (or less) from UFA status. A player like Stafford has a choice to make this summer. Assuming he ends the season the way he started, and is healthy, he has leverage. Some other team may throw an offer sheet at him, the Sabres may look to sigh him long term, and if all else fails he has arbitration, but arbitration has risks. Yes he will get awarded a ridiculous sum which the Sabres may accept or may walk away from. Lets say it's a one year deal and they accept it. Then he has to hope that he has another outstanding year to justify a large free agent contract. If he doesn't, or if he were to get hurt, he could substantially damage his marketability. There are risks and rewards for the Sabres, too. I think the greatest fear these guys have, and consequently the greatest leverage we have, is a serious injury. None of these guys thinks they are going to have a bad season (except Kalinan, hockey's Eeyore). If these guys are in the last year of their contract and sustain a career ending injury, that's it, they're done, game over. The security that a long term, lucrative contract provides may override their knowledge that they may be able to get a couple million extra in free agency IF they can get to free agency in one piece. I think that's a big part of the reason why we lost Drury. Early in that season, there was risk, and he was willing to accept the contract that was negotiated because it eliminated that risk. As the season went on the risk was reduced and the potential reward of free agency was increased due to the success he was having that season, and eventually the risk was low enough that he was willing to accept that risk because of the potential reward. It turned out to be a pretty good decision for him. This is all a long way of saying that IF they believe the switch has truly flipped for Staff, they would be stupid NOT to sign him to a long term deal now - while risk and uncertainty will allow us to get him signed at a discount. Does Pegula change the thinking here that the players will sign below market value contracts to stay with this team? Maybe not this year, but once he has been in power long enough to develop a track record and if the perception in the locker room is that he is building a winner, then yes. By the way, I don't buy into the whole "home town discount". There may have been a time when that played a more significant role, but I think that these guys are all mercenaries now. To the extent it still plays a role, it's a small part of the risk/reward analysis these guys have to perform when considering any contract offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 This is all a long way of saying that IF they believe the switch has truly flipped for Staff, they would be stupid NOT to sign him to a long term deal now - while risk and uncertainty will allow us to get him signed at a discount. By the way, I don't buy into the whole "home town discount". There may have been a time when that played a more significant role, but I think that these guys are all mercenaries now. To the extent it still plays a role, it's a small part of the risk/reward analysis these guys have to perform when considering any contract offer. Good post. I too am skeptical about the "home town discount" -- I think it's much more a result of the desire to reduce risk (by getting an extension signed early, as you point out) than out of goodwill towards the team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 If they want to keep him, the prudent move is to give him an extension this summer -- not to wait until he's a month or 2 (or less) from UFA status. Which leads us to how much do they offer? I'm thinking somewher in the 4 years 15 million range. Might sound high but it's got to be enough for him to forego free agency where in all likelihood, he'd get a bigger payday. Take the $15 mill on the table or wait and see if that turns into $8 million or $80 million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korab rules Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Which leads us to how much do they offer? I'm thinking somewher in the 4 years 15 million range. Might sound high but it's got to be enough for him to forego free agency where in all likelihood, he'd get a bigger payday. Take the $15 mill on the table or wait and see if that turns into $8 million or $80 million. There is some discussion of contracts for Staff in his thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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