waldo Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Great news for pp production.Great news for Vanek on the pp. Great news for GS. Great news for GAA, This guy knows how to get the puck to the net on the pp and when. No more oh crap i am going to die moments in front of the net on the pp for Vanek when TN lets another one of thoes wild two hundred mile an hour, where do you think this one will go, head level shots rocket off his stick. Great news for Miller. With this weeks additions the Sabres now have a shut down pair of defensemen. One number one center to go. The pp would be even better if he puts both Erhoff and Kotalik on the one unit. I think Hecht is close to becoming expendable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullwinkle Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I am wondering how Ehrhoff became sold on Buffalo before we even traded for his rights - if that is true. Or did we trade, then call him and sold him on the team before talking salary? In today's NHL, it seems that a team's quality isn't always as important than the cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMatrix31 Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Determine target, engage target, acquire target. Too exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesportsbuff Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Determine target, engage target, acquire target. Too exciting. Exactly. We overpaid, but I'm guessing there's more to it than just offering the bank for a" second pair" defenseman, as some have called him (even tho I read he led most Vancouver D in ice time & is a PP QB). I wouldn't be surprised if this move was 100% about Brad Richards. Showing him once again that they want to be the best team and will do what it takes to acquire the best players out there. Showing his commitment to winning once again. Just more of the same Pegula stuff we've gotten used to so far! That quote from Ehrhoff is just plain AWESOME -- clearly Buffalo is becoming a coveted destination... maybe not as a city, but certainly as a hockey team. Players want to win. I honestly had myself convinced last season that the team wasn't THAT far off from being a contender... I thought with Weber and Sekera developing nicely, GRagnani looking sharp, and Myers hopefully adding on a little more muscle, that at most we'd be looking at signing a #1 center and maybe a #3 if Connolly left. In just one week I have been blown away, because I now know what a REAL defense core looks like... and we STILL have plenty of room for that #1 center. :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMatrix31 Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Exactly. We overpaid, but I'm guessing there's more to it than just offering the bank for a" second pair" defenseman, as some have called him (even tho I read he led most Vancouver D in ice time & is a PP QB). I wouldn't be surprised if this move was 100% about Brad Richards. Showing him once again that they want to be the best team and will do what it takes to acquire the best players out there. Showing his commitment to winning once again. Just more of the same Pegula stuff we've gotten used to so far! That quote from Ehrhoff is just plain AWESOME -- clearly Buffalo is becoming a coveted destination... maybe not as a city, but certainly as a hockey team. Players want to win. I honestly had myself convinced last season that the team wasn't THAT far off from being a contender... I thought with Weber and Sekera developing nicely, GRagnani looking sharp, and Myers hopefully adding on a little more muscle, that at most we'd be looking at signing a #1 center and maybe a #3 if Connolly left. In just one week I have been blown away, because I now know what a REAL defense core looks like... and we STILL have plenty of room for that #1 center. :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: If a few things went our way, I definitely felt we could have beat Philly and MAYBE even Washington in a potential second round matchup. But the team is still relatively young and iffy, so I wasn't truly expecting it. It's an amazing thing to have an owner who truly does whatever it takes to put what he thinks is the best product on the ice. I wish my Phoenix Suns could be run by Pegula and Black as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Dryden Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 You missed the point. I'm not complaining. I'm just saying the $18 mil over two years is a big reason Ehroff signed. Duh-- ya think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Why worry about it. He's not quitting in '13, but if he does the Sabres get a lot of additional cap space (again, assuming the rules are similar to what they are today). Are you trying to state that he'll only be worth $3.8MM over the next 5 years of the deal? I'm really not understanding what the complaint is. Are you now opposed to making the rules work for the Sabres? Again :doh: It's not a complaint. I like the deal and the player. Just pointing out it doesn't take a top notch GM to wave $18 mil at a player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastPommerFan Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Again :doh: It's not a complaint. I like the deal and the player. Just pointing out it doesn't take a top notch GM to wave $18 mil at a player. I agree with you here, the trade and the Contract were both easy to sell so far. CGY wanted cap space and noone would turn down a contract like that. The GM's brilliance was in sending out the troops to convince Regher to waive. He didn't give up, even after Robyn declined once. The other brilliance was getting Ehrhoffs rights once the islanders failed to sign him. We could have missed the opportunity to even sign him if those rights had been traded to say, DET. Your looking at the easy parts and saying there is nothing special. The other parts are what's special. Pegula's Money let DR get past the easy parts and work the tough ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SabresFan526 Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I agree with you here, the trade and the Contract were both easy to sell so far. CGY wanted cap space and noone would turn down a contract like that. The GM's brilliance was in sending out the troops to convince Regher to waive. He didn't give up, even after Robyn declined once. The other brilliance was getting Ehrhoffs rights once the islanders failed to sign him. We could have missed the opportunity to even sign him if those rights had been traded to say, DET. Your looking at the easy parts and saying there is nothing special. The other parts are what's special. Pegula's Money let DR get past the easy parts and work the tough ones. This I agree with. Every GM that's going to play on July 1st is going to spend a ton of money, and this contract will likely not be substantially different than Vanek's, Briere's, and other front loaded contracts we've seen in the past. Everyone who wants to play in the UFA market is going to have to do this. Even Darcy admitted that if you are going to play on July 1, the cost of doing business is to overpay, and every GM that plays on July 1 will overpay and that's where having TPegs helps. The key here was Regier's willingness to take a huge gamble and ship out a 4th round pick to acquire Ehrhoff's negotiating rights 2 days before the start of UFA and closing the deal before he could even make it to July 1st. That's what you have to give him credit for. The GM has to go out there, take the chance and trade for his negotiating rights, put a cap friendly deal in place and make sure the player is happy and feels rewarded. That's all Darcy, and you have to give him some credit for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROC Sabres Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 sweet. how do we make him immortal? Give that other buffalo team owner a call. He seems to have a way of knowing how to live a long time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
That Aud Smell Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 it's funny. irrespective of how the season actually plays out, this off-season has been one of my more memorable times as a local sports fan, at least of late. it's surreal. or maybe unreal. like a dream, in any event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Best line I've heard on WGR. Having Pegula is like having a video game cheat code. Nice. It feels like Dad tossed us the keys to his new Ferrari. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Again :doh: It's not a complaint. I like the deal and the player. Just pointing out it doesn't take a top notch GM to wave $18 mil at a player. How about structuring it at a $4 M cap hit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 There is only one thing I don't like about this deal.... I think Ramsey's #5 should already be retired. Other than that....I'm good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Again :doh: It's not a complaint. I like the deal and the player. Just pointing out it doesn't take a top notch GM to wave $18 mil at a player. Again :doh: It's not $18MM being waived at the player, it's $37MM being waived at him and it's being waived at him at a cap hit of $28MM. It's not likely a short bus rider would have gotten that done. Relax, enjoy the ride. There'll be plenty of time to complain about how the parts aren't meshing, if they don't, when the bullets start flying. Right now, it's fun being on the other side of the rope. The true test of whether we've got Snyder or Illitch as an owner and where DR truly fits on the scale of Waddell - Holland will start to show ~next July 1. Next July 1, they won't need to go for the biggest FA(s) but the one(s) that will mesh the best. 2 weeks ago the team was definitely 2 C's and 2 D's away from true contender status; now they are 2 C's away and they likely will be 1 C or 0 C's away in 2 more weeks. Are they getting the RIGHT ones right now? Don't know, but going splashy now was almost required to be on the 'we will win a Stanley Cup in 3 years' mode; and the FO is going splashy. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next full 12 months play out, because they MIGHT have a plan that will work and they definitely have (and are obtaining) the resources to make the plan work. If Regier isn't getting it done, I could see him gone in 24 months (I don't expect him out any sooner than that based on how things have gone to date); if TP thinks he is getting it done, I could see him here for quite a while. But even if DR is removed in the next 12-36 months, I don't believe that his staying on will have put the team YEARS behind in their goal to win (at least) one Stanley Cup; he might set them back months but definitely not (IMHO) years. And who knows, he might even be able to get it done. Regards. :beer: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfreeman Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I agree with you here, the trade and the Contract were both easy to sell so far. CGY wanted cap space and noone would turn down a contract like that. The GM's brilliance was in sending out the troops to convince Regher to waive. He didn't give up, even after Robyn declined once. The other brilliance was getting Ehrhoffs rights once the islanders failed to sign him. We could have missed the opportunity to even sign him if those rights had been traded to say, DET. Your looking at the easy parts and saying there is nothing special. The other parts are what's special. Pegula's Money let DR get past the easy parts and work the tough ones. The key here was Regier's willingness to take a huge gamble and ship out a 4th round pick to acquire Ehrhoff's negotiating rights 2 days before the start of UFA and closing the deal before he could even make it to July 1st. That's what you have to give him credit for. The GM has to go out there, take the chance and trade for his negotiating rights, put a cap friendly deal in place and make sure the player is happy and feels rewarded. That's all Darcy, and you have to give him some credit for that. 2 excellent posts. Again :doh: It's not $18MM being waived at the player, it's $37MM being waived at him and it's being waived at him at a cap hit of $28MM. It's not likely a short bus rider would have gotten that done. Relax, enjoy the ride. There'll be plenty of time to complain about how the parts aren't meshing, if they don't, when the bullets start flying. Right now, it's fun being on the other side of the rope. The true test of whether we've got Snyder or Illitch as an owner and where DR truly fits on the scale of Waddell - Holland will start to show ~next July 1. Next July 1, they won't need to go for the biggest FA(s) but the one(s) that will mesh the best. 2 weeks ago the team was definitely 2 C's and 2 D's away from true contender status; now they are 2 C's away and they likely will be 1 C or 0 C's away in 2 more weeks. Are they getting the RIGHT ones right now? Don't know, but going splashy now was almost required to be on the 'we will win a Stanley Cup in 3 years' mode; and the FO is going splashy. I'm looking forward to seeing how the next full 12 months play out, because they MIGHT have a plan that will work and they definitely have (and are obtaining) the resources to make the plan work. If Regier isn't getting it done, I could see him gone in 24 months (I don't expect him out any sooner than that based on how things have gone to date); if TP thinks he is getting it done, I could see him here for quite a while. But even if DR is removed in the next 12-36 months, I don't believe that his staying on will have put the team YEARS behind in their goal to win (at least) one Stanley Cup; he might set them back months but definitely not (IMHO) years. And who knows, he might even be able to get it done. Regards. :beer: I agree generally but another test will come earlier -- WHEN the Sabres sign Richards plus another center today, they'll be well over the cap and will need to shed about $6.5MM in salary to get back to the cap. That will probably necessitate finding trading partners to take a couple of guys from the Hecht-Pommer-Boyes-Morrisonn group off of their hands, much like Chicago just did with Soupy. I'll be interested to see what kind of deals DR can put together and to what extent he can minimize the losses and maximize the returns in those deals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvelo Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I'm uncomfortable with the excessive terms of this contract. $10 million a year for the first 2 years? I just am not cool with seeing a somewhat anonymous player step in from a different organization and get the big bucks, instead of the homegrown guys like Grags, who deserves a chance to be pp qb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey Heaven Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 The Terry Pegula effect. WOW, this man isn’t just making the Sabres respectable, he’s lifting the doom and gloom off this city that seemed to hover over us from not having a decent identity through our sports franchises. You can downplay that from 100 different angles but this city lives and dies with its teams. And if you need proof just open your eyes and see how people are reacting to just signing two players and even being in the RUNNING for the best center out there… imagine if we sign him. The league is about to see how cup crazy Buffalo can get in a very short time. Can the leagues allow 1 owner to own 2 teams in 2 different sports….. imagine if he could own the Bills…. I think he’s showing just how tight some owners can be in any sport. It’s nice to know not every owner out there is in it JUST for the investment so they can die with billions or trillions of dollars. Some like Uncle Terry actually enjoy and want to win for the FUN OF IT. This is crazy…. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LastPommerFan Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 I just came up with a theory, and it may not be proven true, even if we sign richards, but what if the trade for ehrhoff's rights and signing him before today wasn't as much about making the team better so richards would want to come here, but being able to publish some numbers in the media without violating the tampering rules. Ehrhoff is getting $8M wired to his account in Germany today. Brad richards (and his agent) now know this. What if this was a move to not only get on Brad's radar, but to cut to the front of the line? Imagine this deal: Year 1 (age 31): $25M signing bonus, $1M salary Year 2 (32): $15M signing bonus, $2M salary Year 3 (33): $8.5M salary Year 4 (34): $4M salary Year 5 (35): $3.5M salary Year 6 (36): $1M salary Year 7 (37): $1M salary Year 8 (38): $1M salary Year 9 (39): $1M salary that's $41M in the next 12 months including a $25M check by the end of the day today. It's only a $7M cap hit. It meets all the requirements for a good contract (no circumvention) and meets the CBA rules for salary decreases (the 50% and 100% rules, section 50.7) Before yesterday, this kind of deal wouldn't have been thought of. But the Ehrhoff signing might have just been a bow shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Can the leagues allow 1 owner to own 2 teams in 2 different sports….. imagine if he could own the Bills…. I think he’s showing just how tight some owners can be in any sport. They do, just can't be in different markets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taro T Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 2 excellent posts. I agree generally but another test will come earlier -- WHEN the Sabres sign Richards plus another center today, they'll be well over the cap and will need to shed about $6.5MM in salary to get back to the cap. That will probably necessitate finding trading partners to take a couple of guys from the Hecht-Pommer-Boyes-Morrisonn group off of their hands, much like Chicago just did with Soupy. I'll be interested to see what kind of deals DR can put together and to what extent he can minimize the losses and maximize the returns in those deals. Interesting thought. I hadn't looked real closely at what they have left under the cap, primarily because after the Ehrhoff signing I'm expecting Richards (if he does end up in B&G) to have a much cap friendlier contract than I would have expected even 48 hrs ago. So I'm not certain that they'll NEED to dump salary if they think the roster is more or less set w/ the 2C/2D shopping spree, but upon closer look it does look like they'll probably have to dump $4-7MM in trades or additional AHL stuffing. They've got ~$57.3MM in NHLers committed right now (per NHL#'s) including Ales and Shaone ($5.075MM combined) and need to sign a backup goalie, 3 young D, and Cody M. And we'd like them to add 2 C's. If the re-signings cost ~$6MM, that would put them at ~$58MM w/ 2 C's to go. So, your estimate of $6.5MM looks solid. (~$3.5-4MM for the #3C and $2-2.5MM in 'working' cap space.) They'll have the rest of the summer to work that out unless they want to go on an additional shopping spree for an additional W or D. Seeing where they're at in relation to the cap makes me suspect that after they get the 2 more C's, they're pretty much done for the summer. But if they were to work out a way to add another W/D to the mix then it'd be a sign that this crew MIGHT be 'scary good.' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 So apparently I missed some stuff while driving to Buffalo last night. I'd never thought I'd see a thread grow so much over the course of a day that I can't even bother to read the whole thing. Today should be fun. Hopefully I come back from the golf course to find a few more threads that are too long to read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nucci Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 So apparently I missed some stuff while driving to Buffalo last night. I'd never thought I'd see a thread grow so much over the course of a day that I can't even bother to read the whole thing. Today should be fun. Hopefully I come back from the golf course to find a few more threads that are too long to read. Busy schedule today? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattPie Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 They do, just can't be in different markets. Right. Ed Snider owns the Flyers and Sixers (thru Comcast) so it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 1, 2011 Report Share Posted July 1, 2011 Busy schedule today? Vacation is a wonderful thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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