UPL's next contract

[mjd1001]

So, I know that things can change..but...those people who, just a month ago... wanted to sign him/offer him 2-3 years at close to $2m per year....that might not be possible anymore.

[oddoublee]

5 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

So, I know that things can change..but...those people who, just a month ago... wanted to sign him/offer him 2-3 years at close to $2m per year....that might not be possible anymore.

It's 3.5 at the floor. Steal some of his ufa, and you are over 5. If I'm his agent, I'm using recent history against this front office. Fan base has no patience regarding the goalie position...and team has signed multiple rfas to good deals. 

He's gonna cost more than fans are prepared for...

[thewookie1]

I think you can, and more or less must, keep him under 4mil.

Between Mitts making about 7 and UPL pulling in 4 we’d not have much room to make any improvements. Anything more and we are effectively trapped hoping the present team just improves via experience 

[mjd1001]

12 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I think you can, and more or less must, keep him under 4mil.

Between Mitts making about 7 and UPL pulling in 4 we’d not have much room to make any improvements. Anything more and we are effectively trapped hoping the present team just improves via experience 

If he goes to arbitration, I think the might get more than that, and that would only be for 1 year.

If his agent is looking for 3 or 4 years at 5 mil per year, do you say no?

[thewookie1]

Just now, mjd1001 said:

If he goes to arbitration, I think the might get more than that, and that would only be for 1 year.

If his agent is looking for 3 or 4 years at 5 mil per year, do you say no?

I wouldn’t be able to but we’d be saying hello to continued mediocrity because we’d be cap strapped for the next 3 years at least. If Mitts wants 7 and UPL wants 5 then we are going to be fielding this exact team again next season with a couple minor changes to the bottom 6. You’ll be resigning Jokiharju at 4.2 because he’ll become the best defenseman available at 4.2 mil since he won’t be a UFA capable of gouging us. 

[Porous Five Hole]

2 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I wouldn’t be able to but we’d be saying hello to continued mediocrity because we’d be cap strapped for the next 3 years at least. If Mitts wants 7 and UPL wants 5 then we are going to be fielding this exact team again next season with a couple minor changes to the bottom 6. You’ll be resigning Jokiharju at 4.2 because he’ll become the best defenseman available at 4.2 mil since he won’t be a UFA capable of gouging us. 

I don’t have an opinion on his next contract, but since his healthy scratch and then given big minutes during the Power injury…he’s responded perfectly.  

[thewookie1]

3 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

I don’t have an opinion on his next contract, but since his healthy scratch and then given big minutes during the Power injury…he’s responded perfectly.  

I agree, he’s been solid but don’t we need to adjust something this offseason?

If we were to sign UPL 4x5mil, Mitts 5x7mil, Joki 3x4mil and Krebs 2x2mil then we’d have a mere 8 mil to play with while Rousek takes up a spot and we’d still need 3 extras, a back up goalie and a 4th liner. 

[Sabres Fan in NS]

There is no cap issue now and in the immediate future.

6K will sign a 5 year $25M contract.  That is 1B money, I think, which is what he has earned at this point.

Give him a bonus of a pizza and wing party at the establishment of his choice.

[Pimlach]

On 1/22/2024 at 6:28 PM, mjd1001 said:

"6k" two times in your response? Now you are just intentionally trying to work it in.  I do agree that he likely will get at least $2.8-$3m per year, unless his play really really suffers for the rest of the season.

He is the father of 6K.  

[Mango]

I am not sure we can realistically make the current contracts, plus Mitts/UPL, and the coming contracts of Levi, Quinn, and Peterka work. 

Next year we absolutely have to start getting way more value out of Power/Cozens/Thompson. Have to! Otherwise we are talking about letting players that are good today walk because somebody might be comparable tomorrow. 

I don't think this team can afford to let UPL walk. They have to lock him up. 
 

[Pimlach]

11 hours ago, mjd1001 said:

If he goes to arbitration, I think the might get more than that, and that would only be for 1 year.

If his agent is looking for 3 or 4 years at 5 mil per year, do you say no?

Big dilemma for sure.  

They cannot lose another NHL level goalie, they are too hard to get and too hard to develop.  I would bridge him into his UFA years (3 or 4 years) if there is room.  

There will be more contracts coming up to pay as well.  The Skinner deal is becoming an albatross and Power could have been bridged.  We just burned an ELC year on an 18 year old.   Mitts is on deck.  

There will be challenges like all teams face.   

[Mango]

7 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Big dilemma for sure.  

They cannot lose another NHL level goalie, they are too hard to get and too hard to develop.  I would bridge him into his UFA years (3 or 4 years) if there is room.  

There will be more contracts coming up to pay as well.  The Skinner deal is becoming an albatross and Power could have been bridged.  We just burned an ELC year on an 18 year old.   Mitts is on deck.  

There will be challenges like all teams face.   

I have been told on this and other forums that NHL GM's don't plan for the cap 3, 4, 5 years in advance. But I am also told on this and other message boards that we will be getting insane value in years 5, 6, and 7 on Cozens, Power, and Thompson. I whish people would pick a lane. 

Right now, gun to my head, I would rather have Mitts and UPL over either Cozens or Power. In fact, if you asked me to pick my favorite pairing of that group of 4 it would b Mitts/UPL. 

[Hank]

10 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

Big dilemma for sure.  

They cannot lose another NHL level goalie, they are too hard to get and too hard to develop.  I would bridge him into his UFA years (3 or 4 years) if there is room.  

There will be more contracts coming up to pay as well.  The Skinner deal is becoming an albatross and Power could have been bridged.  We just burned an ELC year on an 18 year old.   Mitts is on deck.  

There will be challenges like all teams face.   

Skinners contract was structured to be bought out after next year. I broke it down in another thread, the pearl clutching over money is unnecessary. 

[Pimlach]

Just now, Hank said:

Skinners contract was structured to be bought out after next year. I broke it down in another thread, the pearl clutching over money is unnecessary. 

I know that.  Terry better scrap the EEE plan then. 

[Brawndo]

Contract projections for Mitts, UPL and Jokiharju 

[GoPuckYourself]

1 solid season from UPL in a contract year is scary, I'd love to bring him back on a bridge deal.

[thewookie1]

15 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

1 solid season from UPL in a contract year is scary, I'd love to bring him back on a bridge deal.

I'm unsure if you can, he may only have 2 RFA years left.

[Buffalonill]

27 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

1 solid season from UPL in a contract year is scary, I'd love to bring him back on a bridge deal.

Exactly it's a It's just a ***** Circle

Contract year, they all get paid and go back to *****

[Believer]

1 hour ago, Mango said:

I don't think this team can afford to let UPL walk. They have to lock him up. 
 

Have to believe Adams will offer UPL a fair multi year deal, and UPL will be happy to remain a Sabre… He is developing nicely in Buffalo…

Adams won’t make another Ulmark mistake.

Edited February 26 by Believer

[Mango]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

Contract projections for Mitts, UPL and Jokiharju 

These guys at AFP work with the org. They have floated a couple of things in regards to trades and contracts the last few months that I believe are testing the fan base reaction and present information as a 3rd party. 

I think the Mitts and UPL values are bit low on purpose so the team can set itself up to say "so-and-so team over paid". 

 

[thewookie1]

10 minutes ago, Mango said:

These guys at AFP work with the org. They have floated a couple of things in regards to trades and contracts the last few months that I believe are testing the fan base reaction and present information as a 3rd party. 

I think the Mitts and UPL values are bit low on purpose so the team can set itself up to say "so-and-so team over paid". 

 

I don't believe in some grand conspiracy about AFP working for the Pegulas and trying to undercut players. Since if you convince your fans of these numbers and you sign them for more it only makes you look bad. Fan opinions matter but in contractual negotiations would mean little.

[Brawndo]

39 minutes ago, Mango said:

These guys at AFP work with the org. They have floated a couple of things in regards to trades and contracts the last few months that I believe are testing the fan base reaction and present information as a 3rd party. 

I think the Mitts and UPL values are bit low on purpose so the team can set itself up to say "so-and-so team over paid". 

 

 

26 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I don't believe in some grand conspiracy about AFP working for the Pegulas and trying to undercut players. Since if you convince your fans of these numbers and you sign them for more it only makes you look bad. Fan opinions matter but in contractual negotiations would mean little.

They do not work for the Sabres Organization. 

[Mango]

9 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

I don't believe in some grand conspiracy about AFP working for the Pegulas and trying to undercut players. Since if you convince your fans of these numbers and you sign them for more it only makes you look bad. Fan opinions matter but in contractual negotiations would mean little.

I don't think it is to undercut players players salaries in an effort to sign them for less. And I don't think it is some grand conspiracy.

Every franchise in the big 4 leagues in the US floats stories to gauge and prep fan reaction. Floating unrealistically low contract values to prep fans for players eventual departure isn't uncommon in any league in the US. 

In fact they have already done it with Ullmark. AFP valued Ullmark at nearly half and the teams response was that they offered him what they thought was fair value but Boston gave him more money/longer term or whatever. 

2 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

 

They do not work for the Sabres Organization. 

Sorry, "worked". 

[Brawndo]

7 minutes ago, Mango said:

I don't think it is to undercut players players salaries in an effort to sign them for less. And I don't think it is some grand conspiracy.

Every franchise in the big 4 leagues in the US floats stories to gauge and prep fan reaction. Floating unrealistically low contract values to prep fans for players eventual departure isn't uncommon in any league in the US. 

In fact they have already done it with Ullmark. AFP valued Ullmark at nearly half and the teams response was that they offered him what they thought was fair value but Boston gave him more money/longer term or whatever. 

Sorry, "worked". 

Didn’t work for them either.

 

The closest they get is one of them is tax accountant for a few NHL Players 

[Mango]

2 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Didn’t work for them either.

 

The closest they get is one of them is tax accountant for a few NHL Players 

My point is that Terry and Kevyn like having a data point to fall back on. Of course you and I know the org was stooopid for letting Ullmark go. But for the average fan in the FB comments (not on team specific message boards and following closely) this provides them a bit of curtain to hide behind. "We didn't extend him because the analytics say....."