Shutdown Pair

Tag: Tim Kennedy

  • Gameday 2010-2011 – Leafs at Sabres and Clarke MacArthur

    It’s a post turkey day game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have former Sabre Clark MacArthur as their leading scorer.  You are hearing a lot out of this article by James Mirtle, with this as the money quote:

    “In Buffalo, I didn’t really have the opportunity to do this,” MacArthur said. “You look at the minutes I was playing, like 12 minutes a game on average. What are you supposed to do with 12 minutes a game?”

    As you might imagine, this generated some snarky responses from Sabres fans.  Let’s deconstruct this a bit, shall we?  Clarke showed promise in his early cups of coffee with Buffalo, in particular getting 8 goals and 15 points in 37 games in 07-08.  He followed that up with an uneven 08-09 where MacArthur would show up for a few stretches and then vanish.  That included a 17 game and 20 game goalless streaks.  He had 5 goals in the last 8 games of the year, and 6 goals in the first 13, and ended up with 17.  His average TOI was actually 13:50, though he was definitely getting the Lindy doghouse treatment at times with some 6-8 minute games.  Those are balanced out though, even during the bad streaks he was given ample playing time (16min + more than once) to get going and couldn’t.

    His 09-10 season was more of the same, a burst of goals to start the season, then long stretches of inactivity, which lead to Clarke getting traded to the Thrashers for a couple of mid-round picks.  Atlanta didn’t accept the arbitration agreement (they specifically allowed the arbiter to set it high so they wouldn’t have to do a Tim Kennedy-style buyout) and he signed with the Maple Leafs.  MacArthur currently is on pace for 28 goals and 73 points for them, and good for him.  I just take issue with him acting like 187 games and 12 minutes 14 minutes a night is not enough to prove yourself.  The Tiny Tyler is making quite an impression with 15 a night, is that extra shift that huge a difference?

    Anyway, Miller and Roy are both in tonight as per the esteemed Mike Harrington.  Rivet is still sitting in favor of Weber.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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*

  • Sabres RFAs

    Thankfully, the Buffalo Sabres won’t have a lot of RFA drama this offseason.  As far as RFAs that made any sort of roster appearance with the big show this year, well, there ain’t that many:

    • Tim Kennedy
    • Patrick Kaleta

    You know those guys are coming back.  Neither one is worth enough for another team to make an offer sheet for, but they hold down important roles on the Sabres.  The next tier of RFAs are the ones leading the way for the Portland Pirates:

    • Mark Mancari
    • Marc-Andre Gragnani
    • Mike Weber
    • Phillip Gogulla

    Mike Weber (who got some PT with the Sabres a couple of years ago) is a guy that some are looking to step up to the show potentially, if Tallinder and Lydman both end up leaving.  No guarantees though, considering that Sekera and Butler had basically been sharing the 6th d-man spot down the stretch.

    The third tier of RFAs are guys I know very little about, to be honest.  You can get more info on them at Sabres Prospects, but if there are any RFA types that don’t get tendered an offer by the Sabres, it’s these guys

    • Matt Generous
    • Jean-Phillipe Lamoreaux
    • Michael Kostka
    • Derek Whitmore

    Not a bad year for Restricted Free Agency for Buffalo.  Only one guy is arbitration eligible, and he’s in the third tier (Generous).  Shouldn’t be too much stress there.