Speculation: Matt Moulson, what are the Sabres options?

[Bearbait]

Its time for this subject to have its own thread

This guy has just lost all hockey ability, I have no idea why he is even dressed for games any more, he's just embarrassing to watch.

I have little faith in any trade value, who would take it on even if we retained half? I don't think throwing in a quality prospect is worth it to rid ourselves of him. But I do think its time to just send him home for the season, buy him out next summer when it makes a little more financial sense.

Can someone who knows please explain the ramifications if we waive him? Are we still on the hook for his full salary against our cap?

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[Moskau]

Bury him in the minors and then ship him to Vegas with a pick in the off-season.

 

[brian_griffin]

Options are actually quite numerous. The hard part will be making it look like an accident.

 

[haseoke39]

It's a who cares issue at this point. Yeah, he's on the cap if we waive him (I think), and his buyout saves us $1.4M next year in exchange for $600K on the books the year after.

If he's culture cancer, you can make him go away, but there's no big financial incentive either way.

 

[slip]

Options are actually quite numerous. The hard part will be making it look like an accident.

 

[SundherDome]

Play out this season as the 13th and then retire and give him a job consulting something.
If he doesn't retire I am sure we can move him to Florida as his actual dollars to be paid are 2 million opposed to that 5 million cap hit and their owner is cheap.
Trade Moulson and a 5th to them for McGinn.

 

[russ4king]

Bury him in the minors and then ship him to Vegas with a pick in the off-season.

Would be a pretty high pick...just buy him out in the summer or wait until he is injured and LTIR the shit out of him like the Leafs do with their bad contracts.

 

[thewookie1]

Just buy him out at season's end. The cap hit isn't terrible

 

[joshjull]

Pistols at dawn

 

[Icicle]

Demoted to Rochester. Buy out next season if he doesn’t quit

 

[dotcommunism]

A buy-out only saves about $300k against the cap versus sending him down next year.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

"hanging is too good for him!"

Hanover Fist - "Hanging's too good for him..." - YouTube

▶ 0:11

 

[sabresfan129103]

I'd say bury him in the minors next season and just east the $5 million hit for one more year.

 

[VaporTrail]

"ok, that's what that extra bolt was for" lol

 

[Gabrielor]

Minors time. Like yesterday. He provides the team with nothing.

 

[sabrefan27]

Botterill and Sexton are trying to change the culture in Rochester and have been quite vocal about it. Waiving an unhappy Moulson doesn’t seem to help that. He’d also eventually complicate the veteran rule. He should stay the 13th forward and only play when there are injuries. Get rid of him in the offseason

 

[TehDoak]

Have a sit down with him and his agent. Ask him what he wants to do. Layout some options for him:

A buyout doesn't net him much (he'd get 666k in a buyout). It also only saves Buffalo 1.3M in cap space. Explain to him that next year, he's likely to go on waivers and spend the season in Rochester. Now, he'd get paid per the contract we signed. However, as a 35 year old who has collected 23 of a 25M contract after his signing bonus who has established his family in Buffalo, he MIGHT prefer to retire and stay on as a skills coach in Buffalo. No travel, gets to stay around the locker room, collect a decent salary/benefits, get more family time. Or he can be a player/coach in Rochester. His choice.

Basically, be professional and up front with him. Offer him a soft landing if he chooses to retire and save the team 5M in cap space.

 

[DJN21]

Strap him to a Boston net no pads and let chara take shooting practice...Jk but the guy above me nailed it.

 

[joshjull]

A buy-out only saves about $300k against the cap versus sending him down next year.

Unless I'm missing something (which is possible) according to cap geek it saves 1.333mil

Matt Moulson Buyout - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Jame]

WAIvers

 

[Panthaz89]

waive him take a cap hit and forget about him.

 

[dotcommunism]

Unless I'm missing something (which is possible) according to cap geek it saves 1.333mil

Matt Moulson Buyout - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

It saves that versus his total cap hit, yes, but sending him down saves $1.025M versus his total cap hit. So a buy-out only saves about $300k vs burying him in the minors, and also carries an additional almost $700k cap charge for the following season.

 

[Icicle]

It saves that versus his total cap hit, yes, but sending him down saves $1.025M versus his total cap hit. So a buy-out only saves about $300k vs burying him in the minors, and also carries an additional almost $700k cap charge for the following season.

Burying him either requires Rochester to use a vet slot on him or bench him there... which won’t go over well with the ‘hockey crowd’. Only 300k in cap, but there’s more to it

 

[Jim Bob]

Sacrifice a live chicken?

 

[sabrefan27]

Burying him either requires Rochester to use a vet slot on him or bench him there... which won’t go over well with the ‘hockey crowd’. Only 300k in cap, but there’s more to it

I’d take Moulson on the Amerks if it wasn’t for the veteran rule, which would cause problems if they ever get healthy.