BamBam Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 One week into free agency, the Sabres general manager has already spent a little over $5.8 million from next season's budget to re-sign Teppo Numminen and add Jaroslav Spacek. The total committed to both defensemen for next year -- Numminen will make $2.6 million and Spacek $3.225 million as part of a three-year, $10 million deal -- is $2 million short of what the team paid its top six blue-liners last season. And it also represents almost a fifth of Buffalo's $29 million payroll in 2005-06. http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=497846 Thats a pretty big chunk of change for 2 players. 2 Old Players. 1 of which is coming off of an injury plauged last part of the season and went through heart surgery. I've said it before and I do like the spacek signing but I can't see committing that type of money to Teppo. I think it could be spent on more durable defensmen who can do the exact same job, and will probably play more games then him next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 I don't disagree that Darcy might have panicked a little in bringing back Teppo at that price, but I certainly wouldn't call Spacek old at 32. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBD Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 And if Darcy had let Teppo get away, along with McKee, Grier, and Janik, it would be "the Sabres/Darcy/Golisano are cheap/not committed to winning." :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamBam Posted July 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 And if Darcy had let Teppo get away, along with McKee, Grier, and Janik, it would be "the Sabres/Darcy/Golisano are cheap/not committed to winning." :rolleyes: Thats true, but they coudl've went about business a little differently. Wouldn't it have been better to kick the money that went to teppo to another veteran UFA defensman who is a little less younger and didn't have pre-exsisting medical conditions that we need to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBD Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Thats true, but they coudl've went about business a little differently. Wouldn't it have been better to kick the money that went to teppo to another veteran UFA defensman who is a little less younger and didn't have pre-exsisting medical conditions that we need to worry about. The heart condition is for all intents and purposes cured. As for getting someone younger and presumably better, whom? As they say, "a bird in the hand..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePolishSabre Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 $5.8 million for 2 defensmen that would have no problem cracking any teams top 4... sounds like a good deal IMO. WTF is the problem??? maybe we should have signed 1 D making just as much or even more. I'll take Numminen and Spacek over a Chara or a Pronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 Also, it's not like we're committed to Teppo long term. It's a one year deal. He'll be off the books next year and part of that money can go towards someone else's raise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Seats Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 He'll be off the books next year and part of that money can go towards someone else's raise. cough RYAN MILLER! cough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bottlecap Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 I'm hopeful about Spacek but can't be happy that they gave a complete stranger to the team, who could have been had much cheaper last year, the top salary on the club. Plus he's 32. I can't fathom why they gave Numinen 600G more. Sure he's extremely smart, a great influence etc. but physically with the groin and the heart and at 38, the guy is not much more than a glorified James Patrick. His physical status is unreliable. I think they overpaid at $2 mil for him. I was sad to see McKee go, being a Buffalo guy from age 17, but kind of resented that he jumped on the very first day of free agency. Good luck to Janik, he might be a pretty steady d-man for TB. They should have given the big money to the young guys who came up with the team and not these old guys who are Johnny come Latelys. I just hope they don't screw around salary wise with Briere! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X. Benedict Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 I'm hopeful about Spacek but can't be happy that they gave a complete stranger to the team, who could have been had much cheaper last year, the top salary on the club. Plus he's 32. I can't fathom why they gave Numinen 600G more. Sure he's extremely smart, a great influence etc. but physically with the groin and the heart and at 38, the guy is not much more than a glorified James Patrick. His physical status is unreliable. I think they overpaid at $2 mil for him. Until the Olympics everyone was marveling at how Teppo came to play every night. In fact if you count the Olympics the guy probably played over 100 games this past year. Numinen is probably in a handful of the most underated players in league history. I really think he'll be fine. Just my opinion. It is not so much his body but his noggin and selective use of speed and his first pass out of the zone that makes him so valuable. I would be less worried about Teppo than I would be about McKee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BamBam Posted July 8, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 I can't fathom why they gave Numinen 600G more. Sure he's extremely smart, a great influence etc. but physically with the groin and the heart and at 38, the guy is not much more than a glorified James Patrick. His physical status is unreliable. I think they overpaid at $2 mil for him. I think your right Zed. 38 is still 38. Plus I think some of us are taking his heart condition to lightly. Anything having to do with someone's heart is not a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeleslyobvious Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 I think your right Zed. 38 is still 38. Plus I think some of us are taking his heart condition to lightly. Anything having to do with someone's heart is not a good thing. And he had surgery to correct it and the doctors cleared him to play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shrader Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 And he had surgery to correct it and the doctors cleared him to play. Obviously the team knows a bit more about it than any fan does. They wouldn't have handed him this contract so quickly if there was any question about Teppo's heart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted July 8, 2006 Report Share Posted July 8, 2006 ^^^Ding ding ding...we have a winner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I'm hopeful about Spacek but can't be happy that they gave a complete stranger to the team, who could have been had much cheaper last year, the top salary on the club. Plus he's 32. I can't fathom why they gave Numinen 600G more. Sure he's extremely smart, a great influence etc. but physically with the groin and the heart and at 38, the guy is not much more than a glorified James Patrick. His physical status is unreliable. I think they overpaid at $2 mil for him. I was sad to see McKee go, being a Buffalo guy from age 17, but kind of resented that he jumped on the very first day of free agency. Good luck to Janik, he might be a pretty steady d-man for TB. They should have given the big money to the young guys who came up with the team and not these old guys who are Johnny come Latelys. I just hope they don't screw around salary wise with Briere! Games played - Teppo 87 - Briere 64. If Teppo is unreliable with 87 games played? What is Briere at 64 games played? :o If you watched any of last season you would know how important Teppo was to this team and how important he will be this season. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopeleslyobvious Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 Games played - Teppo 87 - Briere 64. If Teppo is unreliable with 87 games played? What is Briere at 64 games played? :o If you watched any of last season you would know how important Teppo was to this team and how important he will be this season. ;) Just another thought. This year won't be as tough physically as last year. Since Teppo went all the way to the Gold Medal game in the Olympics, and then the Sabres had a very busy March leading right up to the playoffs, I don't think it's an indication of how his health will hold up this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BetweenThePipes00 Posted July 9, 2006 Report Share Posted July 9, 2006 I'm hopeful about Spacek but can't be happy that they gave a complete stranger to the team, who could have been hadmuch cheaper last year, the top salary on the club. Obviously he will not be the highest paid player once Briere's deal is done, whether it is long-term or just an arbitration award. Besides, can we make up our minds ... last year everyone bitched because no free agents were signed, now it's "don't pay any outsiders!"??? So it would have been better to give Spacek's money to forwards who can't leave if they want to, all while NOT filling the hole left by McKee? I think some of us are taking his heart condition to lightly. Yeah WE should take it more seriously ... never mind that he and his doctors seem to be OK with it ... it's what WE think that about a medical condition we have no qualification for talking about that matters, right? Come on guys ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.