a bad contract going to the sabres with a blue chip prospect for a 7th rd pick


thats what the sabres should be looking for in the days ahead
- homiedclown

The question is: is that worth it to the team at the other side of the trading table? I've heard Tim Murray say he was willing to do that. And I'd love it if it were to happen (see everybody? I'm not being negative! I just gave Tim Murray credit!) I have yet to hear another GM in the league say that he's intrigued by that offer.

We could be looking at the biggest tank job in the history of sports. I would love to see them change the lottery format this year and give you people what you deserve
- SnowFrigginWay

The Sabres are so close to McDavid/Eichel that Murray can taste it, just like @ss in his mouth!!

Don't let the big picture hit U on the way out bra!

If I don't like a certain move a team or an executive made, I say it. If I do, I state that as well. I also stated that I blame the league and its retroactively instituting a recapture rule more than I blame Murray and the Sabres. However, that doesn't mean that I have to state that this was handled perfectly. The fact is that they let a decent asset walk away for nothing.

Like I said, most of us loved the Ehrhoff move when it was made. We didn't know it turned out to cause problems until 3 years later. That's the same thing with any move Murray makes.
- buffalofan19

Ehrhoff was no failure here, it was just bad timing, however I don't agree that he was content playing here. I think he wanted out and Murray sounded agitated about it

I just did


- homiedclown

you're excused...for all those years you were my biggest fan...much appreciated

y'all didn't reed the blog, did ya?
- Michael Pachla

Not this one

I have been reading them though, but when it's news like this I jump right to the comments

Not this one

I have been reading them though, but when it's news like this I jump right to the comments
- sbroads24

fair enough, brody...respect, mon

a draft lottery win with the islanders pick?
- Michael Pachla

Sabres get both McDavid & Eichel?

Sabres get both McDavid & Eichel?
- SuperCat

with the way it's now set up, it's more of a possibility then it was before

Ehrhoff was no failure here, it was just bad timing, however I don't agree that he was content playing here. I think he wanted out and Murray sounded agitated about it
- sbroads24

I don't think he was necessarily content playing here either. I also know, though, that he had just built a house here, and just got other things settled here, so he wasn't ready to leave come hell or high water either. He was willing to make it work if they didn't move him. He also wasn't going to shed any tears if he was moved either. However, Murray and Co. never sounded like they wanted him around. In other words, if Murray were the GM in 2011, he probably never would have signed Ehrhoff to begin with, not to this deal, nor to any deal. This has been my point. If I recall correctly, the Sabres approached him for the list, not the other way around. Sure, he may have had it ready, which means he probably could envision a better situation elsewhere, but I'm not going to blame him for being discontented at the fact that he signed a deal thinking he'd be in a much different situation. He came here under the pretense that this team was a contender. He stiffed the Islanders when they traded for his rights for that very reason.

with the way it's now set up, it's more of a possibility then it was before
- Michael Pachla

LoLz, could you imagine what the GM would all be sayin?

We could be looking at the biggest tank job in the history of sports. I would love to see them change the lottery format this year and give you people what you deserve
- SnowFrigginWay

I guess you have not scene the special done by TSN about the Tank job for Lemieux

The Isles fans are so much angrier than we are. As a side note, they seem to be amused about the fact (and the realistic reality) that we're going to be a good, nay, GREAT team in 5 years.

I guess you have not scene the special done by TSN about the Tank job for Lemieux
- Maximum Signal

Well hey... T-Pegs is a Pittsburgh guy right?

I don't think he was necessarily content playing here either. I also know, though, that he had just built a house here, and just got other things settled here, so he wasn't ready to leave come hell or high water either. He was willing to make it work if they didn't move him. He also wasn't going to shed any tears if he was moved either. However, Murray and Co. never sounded like they wanted him around. In other words, if Murray were the GM in 2011, he probably never would have signed Ehrhoff to begin with, not to this deal, nor to any deal. This has been my point. If I recall correctly, the Sabres approached him for the list, not the other way around. Sure, he may have had it ready, which means he probably could envision a better situation elsewhere, but I'm not going to blame him for being discontented at the fact that he signed a deal thinking he'd be in a much different situation. He came here under the pretense that this team was a contender. He stiffed the Islanders when they traded for his rights for that very reason.
- buffalofan19

bingo

The Isles fans are so much angrier than we are. As a side note, they seem to be amused about the fact (and the realistic reality) that we're going to be a good, nay, GREAT team in 5 years.
- TheSabresTaco

I would guess that in 3 years, this team's youth movement is going to be real fun to watch.

Screw Ehrhoff he doesn't have the GLUE factor.


figured we could have moved him, very strange.

I don't think he was necessarily content playing here either. I also know, though, that he had just built a house here, and just got other things settled here, so he wasn't ready to leave come hell or high water either. He was willing to make it work if they didn't move him. He also wasn't going to shed any tears if he was moved either. However, Murray and Co. never sounded like they wanted him around. In other words, if Murray were the GM in 2011, he probably never would have signed Ehrhoff to begin with, not to this deal, nor to any deal. This has been my point. If I recall correctly, the Sabres approached him for the list, not the other way around. Sure, he may have had it ready, which means he probably could envision a better situation elsewhere, but I'm not going to blame him for being discontented at the fact that he signed a deal thinking he'd be in a much different situation. He came here under the pretense that this team was a contender. He stiffed the Islanders when they traded for his rights for that very reason.
- buffalofan19

Which is all true but IMO asking Ehrhoff to submit a list is him doing his due diligence on a rebuilding team.

Tim Murray to Buffalo News: Sabres buy out Christian Ehrhoff and it was an easy decision
By John Vogl

From the moment he was hired as general manager, Tim Murray has contemplated buying out defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. The compliance buyout process is done.

Murray told The Buffalo News this morning that the defenseman would be bought out, as long as Ehrhoff declined the waiver process. Ehrhoff's agent, Rick Curran, told The News that Ehrhoff has declined and filled out the buyout paperwork.

Ehrhoff had seven years remaining on a 10-year, $40 million contract. He is now an unrestricted free agent.

Ehrhoff's front-loaded contract combined with the salary cap recapture rules created in the last collective bargaining agreement made the defenseman virtually untradeable. In short, money saved against the salary cap on long-term deals would be tacked on to the team's cap if a player retires before the deal is up. Ehrhoff made $10 million in 2011-12 and $8 million in '12-13 but had a cap hit of just $4 million.

It's quite possible the 31-year-old won't finish his deal, which runs until 2021, and the Sabres' would be punished with a cap penalty. A breakdown of the penalies, via CapGeek.com, is available here.

The compliance buyout means Ehrhoff is wiped completely from the Sabres' books.

"Since I got here we’ve talked about this," Murray, who was hired in January, told The News this morning in Buffalo Niagara International Airport. "We’ve talked about his contract. We’ve talked about the repercussions of the contract with the penalties that the league has put on it. It’s been an ongoing discussion."

Aside from all that, Ehrhoff simply didn't want to be in Buffalo during the rebuild, and Murray said the defenseman's play didn't warrant keeping him.

"The fact that he quite frankly doesn’t want to be here makes it easy," Murray told The News. "I’ve said at the start that if you don’t want to be here we’ll make it happen. He’s made I believe $22 million in three years and feels that we’re not going in the right direction, but he really hasn’t had much part in the direction the team has gone. So time to move on."

Curran said his client was "surprised" by the Sabres' decisions. As for Ehrhoff's other thoughts, Curran said: "He had a few but they’re his. I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to share any of it. He had a few. He was a little surprised, but that’s it.

"I was advised late last night and found out this morning that was the plan."

The buyout makes Buffalo's uphill climb to the salary cap floor even tougher. According to CapGeek, the Sabres' cap number for next season is $30.4 million. They need to be at $51 million on opening night and have restricted free agents Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno to sign. Buffalo will need to do a lot more than that to make up the $20.6 million.

They have to get to the floor so they don't have much choice.
- mhp

Does anyone know the penalties for not hitting the floor

Another draft report card

http://bleacherreport.com...ard-for-every-team/page/5

Tim Murray to Buffalo News: Sabres buy out Christian Ehrhoff and it was an easy decision
By John Vogl

From the moment he was hired as general manager, Tim Murray has contemplated buying out defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. The compliance buyout process is done.

Murray told The Buffalo News this morning that the defenseman would be bought out, as long as Ehrhoff declined the waiver process. Ehrhoff's agent, Rick Curran, told The News that Ehrhoff has declined and filled out the buyout paperwork.

Ehrhoff had seven years remaining on a 10-year, $40 million contract. He is now an unrestricted free agent.

Ehrhoff's front-loaded contract combined with the salary cap recapture rules created in the last collective bargaining agreement made the defenseman virtually untradeable. In short, money saved against the salary cap on long-term deals would be tacked on to the team's cap if a player retires before the deal is up. Ehrhoff made $10 million in 2011-12 and $8 million in '12-13 but had a cap hit of just $4 million.

It's quite possible the 31-year-old won't finish his deal, which runs until 2021, and the Sabres' would be punished with a cap penalty. A breakdown of the penalies, via CapGeek.com, is available here.

The compliance buyout means Ehrhoff is wiped completely from the Sabres' books.

"Since I got here we’ve talked about this," Murray, who was hired in January, told The News this morning in Buffalo Niagara International Airport. "We’ve talked about his contract. We’ve talked about the repercussions of the contract with the penalties that the league has put on it. It’s been an ongoing discussion."

Aside from all that, Ehrhoff simply didn't want to be in Buffalo during the rebuild, and Murray said the defenseman's play didn't warrant keeping him.

"The fact that he quite frankly doesn’t want to be here makes it easy," Murray told The News. "I’ve said at the start that if you don’t want to be here we’ll make it happen. He’s made I believe $22 million in three years and feels that we’re not going in the right direction, but he really hasn’t had much part in the direction the team has gone. So time to move on."

Curran said his client was "surprised" by the Sabres' decisions. As for Ehrhoff's other thoughts, Curran said: "He had a few but they’re his. I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to share any of it. He had a few. He was a little surprised, but that’s it.

"I was advised late last night and found out this morning that was the plan."

The buyout makes Buffalo's uphill climb to the salary cap floor even tougher. According to CapGeek, the Sabres' cap number for next season is $30.4 million. They need to be at $51 million on opening night and have restricted free agents Tyler Ennis and Marcus Foligno to sign. Buffalo will need to do a lot more than that to make up the $20.6 million.
- Irish 14

thx for posting this, irish

Does anyone know the penalties for not hitting the floor
- lostcdn

Good question, but I'm 100% sure we'll get there.

thx for posting this, irish
- Michael Pachla

No problem Mike! You have brought a fresh new approach to this site and it's much appreciated.

Does anyone know the penalties for not hitting the floor
- lostcdn

They will get to the floor, big day July 1st will be

They will get to the floor, big day July 1st will be
- SABRES 89

Olli Olli Olli !!!!!