Speaking of Dahlin, we all better hope the sabres are done for the year, because he's currently 12th in assists for defensemen, and if he gets to 10th, he will hit a bonus and the Sabres will have more cap overages for next year - $3.3m

Thanks, cap expert Jason Botterill. Had to have Frolik

That is just the start, but yes. Unfortunately he is locked in.
To get any kind of value, he needs to produce at a minimum of 35/30/65 IMO, and that is low.
To do so, he needs a Jack-like center, or to play with Jack.

Okposo kills this team value wise. Like the guy, like his 4th line play...would really like him at about $2M.

Risto, Montour and Miller are virtually redundant. Miller and Montour are paid (for now) like 2nd pairings. Risto is paid like a 1st...especially when that contract was signed.
Joker makes all 3 redundant at 2nd pairing...and none can play 1st pairing.
Borgen and Brycen are the future 3rd pairings, which makes all 3 of those guys redundant to the smart play and should be traded.
Do it now and vet what you can before their value declines further.

Mojo is exactly the type of player you add at the TDL for a playoff run, like Boston did and was smart enough to let him walk...why? Because he is overpaid for his season long play.
Would he be a good 3rd line LW or Rw...yes, absolutely produ tion wise...but not at that contract. Sabres can get better value.

This roster as presently constructed is soft, easy to play against, mentally fragile and overpaid.
Bringing in guys like Frolik and Simmonds showed that it is true...but those guys are relics...Sabres should look for quality of character in their core and complimentary players...not trying to buy it with guys who were good 3 years ago.

But, let's tweak the roster and have Jason Einstein expect different results
- IonSabres

Good post

Speaking of Dahlin, we all better hope the sabres are done for the year, because he's currently 12th in assists for defensemen, and if he gets to 10th, he will hit a bonus and the Sabres will have more cap overages for next year - $3.3m

Thanks, cap expert Jason Botterill. Had to have Frolik
- jcragcrumple

Where did you get that info from

I'm not going to fully blame Botterill for the Skinner deal because I was in the "it was necessary" camp.

Okposo's deal might be moveable after next season to a team looking to get to the cap floor. His actual salary will be less than his cap hit.
- buffalofan19

It was not necessary. We’re a bottom feeder when he was scoring 40 and a bottom feeder this year. That contract is the worst in the league right now. In a salary cap league contracts are value, and the argument can be made that skinner has the lowest value of any player in the league right now.

Now you pay Reinhart more money and your in cap hell paying tow wingers 16 million that need Jack to even be good.

Fire Botts today

Where did you get that info from
- Michael Pachla

It was on Schopp and Bulldog yesterday. Someone from the athletic tweeted about it or wrote an article

It was on Schopp and Bulldog yesterday. Someone from the athletic tweeted about it or wrote an article
- jcragcrumple

Wow. Could Botts get lucky again?

I think it's noteworthy that you justify Dahlin's contract on his career long performance and criticize Sam's opportunity for a long term signing based on 40 games of one season. I know you watched the first half of Dahlins season this year. That's doesn't trouble you as much as Sam's "vacation" did, apparently?
- Der Kaiser

It's a good point.
Yes, I watched the 1st half and was wondering WTF is the Coaching staff doing limiting his offensive play so dramatically. When they finally took the constraints ts off, he came around, offensively.
As stated previously, his Dgame needs alot of work...most 20 yr old offensive Dmen have the same issue.

Sam was playing on Eichels wing and turned the light switch on. Was very, very concerning that in a contract year a player was fine with that level if efforr.
Had the coach played him on line 4, there would have been an argument.

Wow. Could Botts get lucky again?
- Michael Pachla

The universe threw him a bone because he is comically bad at nearly every aspect of his job.

It was not necessary. We’re a bottom feeder when he was scoring 40 and a bottom feeder this year. That contract is the worst in the league right now. In a salary cap league contracts are value, and the argument can be made that skinner has the lowest value of any player in the league right now.

Now you pay Reinhart more money and your in cap hell paying tow wingers 16 million that need Jack to even be good.

Fire Botts today
- Fattony1187

Spot on.

The Sabres can afford to pay Sam.
The issue is if they are smart they won't and leverage him in a package for a player at a position that drives more value from others on the roster as well.
It ain't hating on Sam, it is a value consideration and a business decision.

The universe threw him a bone because he is comically bad at nearly every aspect of his job.
- jcragcrumple

Nearly? Sounds like you're throwing him a bone

The universe threw him a bone because he is comically bad at nearly every aspect of his job.
- jcragcrumple

What did he get lucky at?
Not having to lay the bonus?
I think these bonuses may need to be prorated...he never got the chance to earn them over a full season if they pull the plug...lawsuit right there.

I think we may be looking at 8 yrs $60-64M right now. Is that concerning? I don't think so. However, squeezing. $7.5M hit for skunk to go along with $27M combined for Jack, Dahlin and the new whipping boy is
- Michael Pachla

If, and I stress IF the NHL allows a compliance buyout and its used on Okposo; Is this even an issue going forward?

I mean 6+3.65-7.5=2.15 still in space. Now I understand Okposo has found a niche and he is well liked but I’d rather see Sam making the money and being on the roster over Okposo. Sam will be a 60 point winger for plenty of years to come.

I’m not sure why there’s an issue?

Because we didn’t take Leon? Neither did Florida, move on. Imagine if we’d have taken Bennett, Dal Colle, Fleury, or Virtanen? We could be in a worse situation.

Nearly? Sounds like you're throwing him a bone
- Michael Pachla

He is a decent AHL GM, I'll give him that.

Wait, that's randy sexton

Nvm

He is a decent AHL GM, I'll give him that.

Wait, that's randy sexton

Nvm
- jcragcrumple

All he has to do is not frank up this years first rounder.

What did he get lucky at?
Not having to lay the bonus?
I think these bonuses may need to be prorated...he never got the chance to earn them over a full season if they pull the plug...lawsuit right there.
- IonSabres

Lawsuit because of country wide shut down due to an epidemic? Easily thrown out of court. The league and the NHLPA will have agreed to cancel the season. End of story unfortunately for Dahlin.

What did he get lucky at?
Not having to lay the bonus?
I think these bonuses may need to be prorated...he never got the chance to earn them over a full season if they pull the plug...lawsuit right there.
- IonSabres

Dahlin is 2 points behind 9th. He'd probably hit the goal.

God I hope they're done. Just let the Sabres season die

Some talk going around that Euros are being told to get back over here by mid May

Some talk going around that Euros are being told to get back over here by mid May
- jdfitz77

I can see them figuring out the opening of professional sports(no fans) in the coming weeks but I can’t see them starting to open things back up until June 1st at the earliest. Everything is already shut down until May 15th, Memorial Day weekend in the following weekend. Can’t see them wanting the type of gatherings that will happen that quick. A June 1st slow go until a full blown opening by 4th of July weekend IMO is the way to go.

The school year is done from what I understand and I know the people in charge at Buff State are already set up for online only classes to for the start of the Fall semester. They have no plan to open up campus until November at the earliest.

My company just offered me a position to move back to GA (Yes I know during this time i shouldn't be complaining)
But it is one of the hardest decisions of my life.

I have until Friday to decide.

Only issue is the move wouldn't happen for 9+ months, in which a hell of a lot can change.


UGHHHHH
- ImThatGuy

Come back down to Newnan, I will sell you my place in SummerGrove

What did he get lucky at?
Not having to lay the bonus?
I think these bonuses may need to be prorated...he never got the chance to earn them over a full season if they pull the plug...lawsuit right there.
- IonSabres

I could see some numbers being prorated, but how would pro rating rankings be affected?

Dahlin is 2 points behind 9th. He'd probably hit the goal.

God I hope they're done. Just let the Sabres season die
- jcragcrumple

How is it probable that he passes Ekblad and Makar? Not saying he can't, just that it's not a given he would.

I could see some numbers being prorated, but how would pro rating rankings be affected?
- adambuffalo

The issue is what if it knocks out other guys from hitting their bonus?

If the season ends it’ll be agreed upon by both the League and the NHLPA. The individual player would be SOL.

How is it probable that he passes Ekblad and Makar? Not saying he can't, just that it's not a given he would.
- adambuffalo

He's 4 assists behind 5th and has played 10+ fewer games than everyone except Makar. He and Makar would probably both vault into the top-10. He would pass DeAngelo and Pionk imo and land somewhere between 8 and 10

It’s impossible to have a majority of the team on ELC’s, however the benefit of drafting and developing is to hopefully get them on value contracts in their 2nd deals.

Draisatil at $8.5M and Pasternak at $6.7M are two very recent examples of that.
- Pegullaville

I see this sort of thing get brought up all the time, and it's only ever based on actual salary and not percent of the cap at the time the deal was signed, which makes a big difference.

Pastrnak was signed at 8.89% of the cap (almost 3 years ago), which would be equal to $7.345M per based on this year's cap.

Draisaitl was signed at 11.33% of the cap (almost 3 years ago as well), which would be equal to $9.234M per based on this year's cap.

There was a ton of talk, from a lot of Oilers fans, about the massive deal Draisaitl signed in 2017.

GM's are basically taking this approach: I am confident that Player X will at least perform at the level they are now for the length of the long term deal I am about to offer them, and if they do, as the cap continues to rise, it will become a value deal. If they progress further and perform even better than they are now, the deal will be an even better value.

It's almost entirely based on continuing the current level of performance combined with the idea that the salary cap will always rise.

The problem is that the Sabres missed their opportunity to sign Reinhart long term for a lower cap hit. Probably could have gotten him for $6M if we didn’t bridge him.
- Pegullaville

I don't believe the above is true at all, based on other contracts and $7M looking like the new level set.

I don't think he would have taken anything less than $7M per long term back when they had the chance to sign him to a longer term.