2020 Roster Speculation Part 3: Off-season Edition

[threeVo]

Isnt the buyout window closed?

 

[Jim Bob]

Isnt the buyout window closed?

Yes

The 2020 buyout window started on Sept. 25 and ended on Oct. 8.

Buyout FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Buyouts Outside of the Regular Period

Clubs whom have 1 or more arbitration filings may be permitted to perform a buyout outside of the regular window. This gives teams another opportunity to become cap compliant following an arbitration case.

Clubs are permitted to perform a buyout outside the regular period during the 48 hour period beginning on the third day after the final of [CBA 13(c)ii]:

1. Settlement of the Club's final arbitration case, or
2. Receipt of the Club's last arbitration award

Requirements:

1. A buyout can only be performed on a player who was on the clubs reserve list at 3:00pm on the most recent trade deadline
2. The player must have a cap hit of at least $4,000,000 for the 2020 offseason

Miller's cap hit is less than $4M, so....

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

To Winnipeg: Ristolainen $5,400,000
To Buffalo: Ehlers $6,000,000

To Philadelphia: Reinhart RFA ($5,500,000?)
to Buffalo: Gostisbehere $3,250,000 and a 2nd 2021

To NYR: Philly 2nd 2021, Buffalo 3rd 2021
to Buffalo: Georgiev RFA

Sign Tyler Johnson 1 year $3,500,000

Hall-Eichel-Olofsson
Skinner-Staal-Cozens
Thompson-Johnson-Ehlers
Girgensons-Eakin-Okposo
Lazar/Reider

Dahlin-Joki
Gostisbehere-McCabe
Miller-Montour
Irwin/Davidson/Borgen

Georgiev/Ullmark

First deal: Terrible for WPG

Second deal: Terrible for Buffalo

Third deal: Probably fine?

Tyler Johnson is still under contract for four more years at $5M per.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

So, I've fixed some of the issues and stayed under the cap. However, we have to buyout Miller to make it work. Also, still lacking a defensive or even two way center.

To WPG: Montour
To Buffalo: Rolsovic

To Arizona: Hutton (800k retained), 4th round pick
To Buffalo: Raanta

Sign: Koekkoek (1 year, 1.5M)

Buyout: Colin Miller (2nd window opens up after Arb)

Sign:

VO, 2 years, 3.6M per
Reinhart: 4 years, 6.25M
Ullmark: 3 years, 3M

Roster:

Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart
Hall-Staal-Cozens
Girgensons-Eakin-Rolsovic
Thompson-Lazar-Girgensons
Rieder

Dahlin- Risto
Koekkoek - Joker
McCabe - Borgen
Irwin

Raanta
Ullmark

Other than Joker, Miller is our only competent RHD. Moving him off the roster is a bad idea. Since Krueger does not seem to like playing him, the only option is for the GM to move other players off the roster and force him to.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

Lol. They are not buying out Miller.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Clubs whom have 1 or more arbitration filings may be permitted to perform a buyout outside of the regular window. This gives teams another opportunity to become cap compliant following an arbitration case.

Buyout FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

There is another buyout window for teams that have arbitration filings, which the Sabres do.

 

[tmack224]

Johnson isn't a UFA and the Rangers aren't trading Georgiev. After the Lundqvist buyout, they are going with Shesterkin & Georgiev in net this season.

Didn't they waive Johnson? Does he go to minors? I thought he had a no movement clause which wouldnt allow them to waive him to the minors?

What other young goalies are out there? I still hope we upgrade in Net before the season.

 

[markpenske]

To Winnipeg: Ristolainen $5,400,000
To Buffalo: Ehlers $6,000,000

To Philadelphia: Reinhart RFA ($5,500,000?)
to Buffalo: Gostisbehere $3,250,000 and a 2nd 2021

To NYR: Philly 2nd 2021, Buffalo 3rd 2021
to Buffalo: Georgiev RFA

Sign Tyler Johnson 1 year $3,500,000

Hall-Eichel-Olofsson
Skinner-Staal-Cozens
Thompson-Johnson-Ehlers
Girgensons-Eakin-Okposo
Lazar/Reider

Dahlin-Joki
Gostisbehere-McCabe
Miller-Montour
Irwin/Davidson/Borgen

Georgiev/Ullmark

I don't like the Reinhardt trade. Everything else looks good. Please revise and resubmit

 

[Ratatoskr]

With the current roster, the contracts for the remaining RFAs will probably get the Sabres close to the cap. I'm wondering how they plan to get under that internal cap we've been hearing about. Backloading the contracts of the RFAs could help some, but will it be enough?

Do you think they'd consider buying out Okposo? It wouldn't save them much ($2,000,000 in both actual salary and cap hit next season), but it would help some.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

Didn't they waive Johnson? Does he go to minors? I thought he had a no movement clause which wouldnt allow them to waive him to the minors?

What other young goalies are out there? I still hope we upgrade in Net before the season.

Johnson cleared waivers so he is still on the Lightning with the same contract. NTC

 

[Rowley Birkin]

Buyout FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

There is another buyout window for teams that have arbitration filings, which the Sabres do.

True but its a moot point - nobody is being bought out let alone a player who can be useful.

Does anyobe really think they would have resigned Montour to a 1 year deal if it meant having to buyout Miller as a result?

 

[Dirty Dog]

We are in no position to try and shed bad contracts this year. Okposo is here to stay (as is miller). We have no need as we have money to sign our RFAs, and the cost of shedding salary will never be higher. This is not the time to shed salary.

 

[My Cozen Dylan]

With the current roster, the contracts for the remaining RFAs will probably get the Sabres close to the cap. I'm wondering how they plan to get under that internal cap we've been hearing about. Backloading the contracts of the RFAs could help some, but will it be enough?

Do you think they'd consider buying out Okposo? It wouldn't save them much ($2,000,000 in both actual salary and cap hit next season), but it would help some.

At this point I'm not sure there is an "internal cap". Hall kinda threw that out the window.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

True but its a moot point - nobody is being bought out let alone a player who can be useful.

Does anyobe really think they would have resigned Montour to a 1 year deal if it meant having to buyout Miller as a result?

Hutton is a possibility if we acquire a goalie.

 

[Jim Bob]

Didn't they waive Johnson? Does he go to minors? I thought he had a no movement clause which wouldnt allow them to waive him to the minors?

They waived him and nobody claimed him. So, his contract is still in place and he's still on their roster. It's like nothing happened.

What other young goalies are out there? I still hope we upgrade in Net before the season.

I doubt there are any young goalies that are on the trade market. Teams are looking to move higher paid vets since so many teams are up against the cap.

 

[Jim Bob]

Hutton is a possibility if we acquire a goalie.

He doesn't make $4M. So, he isn't eligible. The same goes for Miller.

Buyout FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

The only players that they could use a buyout on at this point are Eichel, Skinner, Okposo, and Ristolainen.

 

[Jim Bob]

With the current roster, the contracts for the remaining RFAs will probably get the Sabres close to the cap. I'm wondering how they plan to get under that internal cap we've been hearing about. Backloading the contracts of the RFAs could help some, but will it be enough?

Do you think they'd consider buying out Okposo? It wouldn't save them much ($2,000,000 in both actual salary and cap hit next season), but it would help some.

If they wanted to buyout Okposo, they would have done it during the normal buyout window.

 

[Ratatoskr]

Hutton is a possibility if we acquire a goalie.

I don't think Hutton can be bought out outside the normal window, there seems to be a requirement of the player having at least a $4mil cap hit:

Source: Buyout FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Ratatoskr]

If they wanted to buyout Okposo, they would have done it during the normal buyout window.

But that was before the Hall signing. That may have changed things.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

He doesn't make $4M. So, he isn't eligible.

Buyout FAQ - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Oh bother

 

[Jim Bob]

But that was before the Hall signing. That may have changed things.

I doubt it.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

If they wanted to buyout Okposo, they would have done it during the normal buyout window.

RFA negotiations could force their hand. Or hockey trades.

But I doubt they want to do that. They probably value his leadership and character.

^ I'm often snarky but I'm not trying to be snarky with that statement. An Okposo buyout wouldn't be my preferred option to clear cap.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

Hutton is a possibility if we acquire a goalie.

I'm probably going to die on this one but I think Hutton either bounces back to be a serviceable backup or is LTIR'd/retired in some manner.

 

[itwasaforwardpass]

I'm probably going to die on this one but I think Hutton either bounces back to be a serviceable backup or is LTIR'd/retired in some manner.

We might end up being forced to find out. Almost everyone wants to dump their cap right now.

 

[Ratatoskr]

I doubt it.

I also doubt they want to. I was just wondering about this purported "internal cap" (if they're even serious about that). Maybe backloading the RFA contracts will be enough to get them where they want to be.