Shutdown Pair

Tag: Buffalo

  • Odds and Ends

    • Thank goodness Sabres training camp starts soon.  The news has all but dried up, and I just want SOMETHING to talk about.  The cone of silence has descended on HSBC arena and it’s killing me
    • By the way, I didn’t realize anybody wanted to know about the flooding at the arena, I could’ve told you about it.  Surprised that it took a month for me to notice an article on it.
    • That CJ Spiller looks pretty good, eh?  Fun kid to watch.
    • Had to watch part of that new Cats and Dogs movie.  I sure hope a steady gig on NCIS: LA keeps Chris O’Donnell from making further movies.

    Hopefully I have more to fill this space next week.

  • MacArthur, Kennedy and Arbitration: Validation for Darcy?

    The inestimable James Mirtle wrote an article about the arbitration process, and specifically Clarke MacArthur’s ridiculous award.  We now know how C-Mac got it:

    When it came time to meet with an arbitrator, the Thrashers simply asked for the award to be presented immediately, based on the player’s demands, so they could then walk away from the contract.

    <snip>

    “We said, you know what, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad thing if he gets this silly award,” Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley said. “We kind of encouraged it.”

    This was actually crazy like a fox, as it turned out.  With Clarke getting such a high award, the Thrashers could walk away.  If they had wrestled it down to $1.6mil or below, they would’ve been stuck with it the way Buffalo was with Tim Kennedy’s.  Could you imagine how much grief GMDR could’ve saved himself if he had gamed the system like that?  “Yes, please award him $2 million bucks.  WE DARE YOU.”

    Regier’s reasoning behind the arbitration problems:

    Sabres GM Darcy Regier said part of the problem stems from depth players being paid less under the salary cap as stars get a larger share of the pie.

    “The arbitration system has largely been built over the years on a pricing system for these players that, if it’s not obsolete, it’s going to be obsolete,” Regier said. “[Free agents] are available on the market for a price determined by the market and not by an arbitration system that’s running a little behind.”

    The Niemi/Turco situation is the prime example…why pay $2.75 million when there’s a guy who had similar numbers willing to take half (one reason:  if the guy is 10 years younger, but with the cap situation in Chicago…).  Rick Dudley, Thrashers GM says it best here:

    “My theory is very simple,” Dudley said. “If I put the player on waivers tomorrow, would he be claimed? If the answer’s no, then in all likelihood, that’s a contract I wouldn’t want.”

    Tim Kennedy passed through waivers.  Bottom line, his award (even if not crazy) is a contract no one wants.  Teams may regret it in a year or two, but I doubt it.

  • Goodbye, Max

    According to George James Malik on Twitter (via Sovetsky Sport and Sport-Express), Maxim Afinogenov has signed a 5 year contract with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL, with an option for a 6th year.  Kind of expected this after he didn’t re-sign right away with Atlanta.  He’s the sort of player who would get quite a bit more money there (though I don’t know the terms yet).

    I wish him the best of luck.  Max could bring a crowd to their feet like few others the Sabres have had recently, even when, more often then not, we ended up groaning and throwing up our hands in frustration when his dangle fizzled.

    Could’ve met Max at Puck Drop a few years back, but my son was restless so I gave my spot in line to a young lady that was wearing Max’s Dynamo Moscow jersey.

  • Tim Kennedy: WAIT I GOT IT

    You know what this is to me?  It’s like TK and the Sabres are dating in high school.  Tim is head over heels in ‘love’ with Buffalo, like OMG, I never want to go anywhere else!  The Sabres, on the other hand, were never really committed at all.  Nice guy, treats them well, will even watch Sabretooth while his beau is out of town.  Lately, though, the Sabres seem distracted.  They aren’t texting Tim back right away, and when they do, it’s a short reply.  She, sorry, Tim confronts the Sabres (at the arbitration hearing) and gives an ultimatum.  Buffalo shrugs and moves on, deciding the open time in the afternoon can be used to get back in WoW, whereas Kennedy goes home, cries into his pillow and plays Morrissey records for the next month.

    I have too much time on my hands.

  • Get to know Shaone Morrisonn

    I only had to check the spelling once for the title, but as stated, Shaone (pronounced like Shawn) Morrisonn was signed by Buffalo to a 2 year deal.  Financials not confirmed, rumored to be around $1.75mil/year but huge grains of salt there.  He’s 27, having played the last several years with Washington, at times paired with Mike Green.  1G, 11A last year, he is more of a stay-at-home guy that clears out the front of the net (6’4″, 210 lbs).  He had 163 hits last year, which would’ve put him first on the Sabres ahead of Kaleta.  His 104 blocked shots last season would put him second to Tyler Myers.

    Other notes on Morrisonn:

    Really, with all of this, he reminds of Jay McKee.  Big, similar numbers, shot blocker, hard hitter, all around tough guy.  Not a big splashy move, but definitely a guy that can play a role on this team now.

  • Reserving Judgement

    Look, the Tim Kennedy thing is just as baffling to me as it is to you.  I want to hear what Darcy says (and doesn’t say) before I go off the deep end.  I may not do that no matter what, though, as at the end of the day he’s just one $1mil/year player that would be gone. *shrug*

  • What to Expect: Tyler Ennis

    The wheels for this one started turning when someone mentioned that an HFBoards post had Tyler Ennis on a list of guys to watch for the upcoming season’s Calder Trophy.  I honestly hadn’t even considered him a candidate, if only for the fact that I didn’t want to be greedy and win it two years in a row (video scouting FTW).  Looking at his numbers, though, you can’t discount the possibility.

    The shorter tower in the ‘Two Tylers’ (© Mike Grier) has ten NHL games under his belt, with 9 points (3G, 6A).  He was one of the best players in the playoffs as well, though unfortunately that was a small sample size also (1G, 3A in 6GP).  Ennis had 65 points in 69 games with the Sabres AHL affiliate Portland Pirates, including 9 PPG.  He could be an intriguing option to improve Buffalo’s mediocre powerplay.  Ennis has played C and LW, but barring a move of Timmy or Roy, will mostly likely stick with the Sabres as a winger.

    What are his downsides?  Well, Tyler is yet another smallish forward in the mold of Roy or Kennedy.  It remains to be seen if he can be healthy for a full NHL season, what with the rigors of getting elbowed ‘accidently’ by Chara.  Can he get around the bigger stronger faster NHL forwards and d-men?  If he can do it, I could see him picking up 20 goals and 35 assists, continuing to get the 15min a night he was getting against the Bruins in the playoffs.

  • What to Expect: Derek Roy

    Derek Roy led the team in points last year, had 26 goals with 10 on the powerplay, and managed only 2 assists in the playoffs.  He logs a lot of minutes (as a number one/two center should)).  So what will happen this year?  We’ll get more Cellino and Barnes, that’s for sure.

    Derek Roy is nothing if not consistently productive.  25-30 goals, 45 or so assists, solid power play contributor.  I’d have no problem predicting him to be right in that range again.  He’s been healthy, another plus as compared to Timmy.  Roy is the more tradeable of these two, with a $4mil cap hit to boot, but like I said for TC there really aren’t too many better options on the market so I wouldn’t hold my breath.

    A bit of a confession – I don’t hate Derek.  Since he’s cut down on the yapping and the diving, I’m perfectly fine with him being on the team.  It wouldn’t break my heart to see him and his fauxhawk somewhere else, but there darn well better be a 30 goal scorer returning.

  • What to Expect: Tim Connolly

    Now HERE we go.  The player everyone loves to hate, or at least strongly dislike.  He had 65 points in 73 games, with 17G and 48A.  7 PPG mixed in there, 18 minutes of ice time per game.  Not bad, really, just looking at the numbers from the outside.  But it’s all the other stuff that bothers you, isn’t it?  Pictures at bars…streaks of no scoring…injuries…whatever else you think of.  Fans are tired of not know what they get night in, night out.

    So what happens to Timmy this year?  Here are the options:

    1. He gets traded before the season– There are a few teams that need to add salary or at the very least could use a playmaking center.  Darcy’s theory is the trade market will heat up after more of the free agents find homes, and I think he may be right.
    2. He gets traded at the deadline – Tough to see this really happening, if you assume the Sabres are in contention.  At the same time, it happened to Campbell so you never know.
    3. He plays out the season – This won’t be a popular option, I’m guessing, but I’m thinking it’s a likely one.  It’s going to depend on whether or not GMDR can find another ‘top 20 center’ to take his place.  You know Darcy isn’t dumping Timmy if there’s no good replacement.
    4. He sneezes and his brain falls out his ear – Just saying, it could happen.

    What do I think happens?  My gut says he stays and plays out the season.  Next most likely is a pre-season trade.  As far as scoring?  If he stays healthy (!), you can pencil him in for 20G, 50A, but you are more likely to see 15G, 40A in an injury shortened season.

  • Kaleta Under Contract

    I had a really long, alliterative title thought up for this but I’ll spare you.  What’s important is Patrick Kaleta is back with the Sabres for 2 more years, at the very reasonable price of $1.815 million over those years.  When most folks were expecting $1.3 million +, that’s a deal.

    Darcy’s arbitration play worked like a charm, and Kaleta is thrilled to be back.  It’s a win-win, for once, for the Sabres.  Patty needs to stay healthier, if he does, he might up his goal total to the 15 goal range, which for what he plays a night is a huge contribution, along with the insane number of penalties he draws.  By the way, if you want to have some fun, check out the comments about Kaleta at TSN or some of the other national news outlets, you really get a sense of how hated (and as such, feared) he is.