TBN: Sabres not expected to offer any buyouts

[joshjull]

"I don't have any interest in doing buyouts here right now," Botterill told The News on Friday while declining to address specific players. "With the way some of these contracts are structured, I prefer not to have a cap hit moving forward beyond this year. As I look at it right now, I don't see any need for a buyout."

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[struckbyaparkedcar]

1) We’re definitely trading O’Reilly.
2) Stupid as hell if true.

 

[joshjull]

1) We’re definitely trading O’Reilly.
2) Stupid as hell if true.

Curious why you feel this means ROR is definitely traded

 

[Gabrielor]

So.......pommer is hopefully the captain of the Amerks then?

Also, any need? How about to replace guys and make the team better? Or are you selling me that Bogo will totally be a top 4 staple this time no really.

 

[Dingo44]

Uh oh...commence the temper tantrums.

 

[flashsabre]

I have no problems with no buyouts if Moulson and Pominville are jettisoned to the AHL. Let their last year run out and gain 10 million plus next season. Bogo is Bogo. He either bounces back and gives us a 3rd pairing guy or he is injured again and his buyout is much better next season.

Even if Bogo somehow stays healthy, they need an upgrade on the Right side. Nelson can fil in on the 3rd pair but they need a quality top 4 guy unless they decide Dahlin is going to play RD which I doubt.

 

[paulmm3]

I'm okay with zero buyouts this offeason. "Hey, we're probably not contenders in 2018-19 so let's get these cap hits off the book as quickly as possible" seems like a pragmatic approach

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Curious why you feel this means ROR is definitely traded

Unless we get a gift and a team takes our garbage, not sure where the salary flexibility to add good players is gonna come from.

 

[sufferer]

We'll trade our garbage to the future GM of Seattle then leave Nylander exposed.

 

[old kummelweck]

So.......pommer is hopefully the captain of the Amerks then?

Also, any need? How about to replace guys and make the team better? Or are you selling me that Bogo will totally be a top 4 staple this time no really.

The fans are the only ones that think Bogo should be bought out. What you hear from management is they think he can still contribute in a meaningful way to the team. So speculating on buy-out around him, or moving him off the roster tends to land in the wishful thinking category.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

It’ll be so frustrating to have to watch Pomms again next season.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Botterill is doing the right thing IMO. He doesn't need that cap room right now. 2-3 years down the road road he will. Another reason why O'Reilly gets moved for younger pieces. This will take some time.

 

[Aladyyn]

The fans are the only ones that think Bogo should be bought out. What you hear from management is they think he can still contribute in a meaningful way to the team. So speculating on buy-out around him, or moving him off the roster tends to land in the wishful thinking category.

So you're saying the fans are smarter than the management?

We're screwed.

 

[Sabre Dance]

It’ll be so frustrating to have to watch Pomms again next season.

Pominville is 1 year problem. Buying him out makes it a 2 year problem.

 

[Sabretooth]

Uh oh...commence the temper tantrums.

Idk... all the buyout discussion seemed like was a nice time killing thought experiment, because this was always the mostly likely outcome. Only one that had a chance was beaulieu, but even that was a small chance.

 

[dotcommunism]

The only way Pominville gets waived to the AHL is if he's playing like complete garbage, and it won't happen before mid-season if it does happen.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

Pominville hate has got ridiculous on this forum lately.

Absolute worst case - he sucks but is still a borderline NHLer & plays on the 4th.

 

[joshjull]

Unless we get a gift and a team takes our garbage, not sure where the salary flexibility to add good players is gonna come from.

Ok. I see what you mean now. Thanks

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

I'd much rather take the hits now, get rid of the garbage dead-weight cap hits ASAP, and have a clean slate next summer. Only Bogo will still be around, and I'm fine with hoping he keeps it together just enough to salvage his trade value. If he can't do that, then the buy-out for him next summer is much better than now. People should cast their anger toward the reason these players are in Buffalo in the first place, and ask themselves if that reason was still here, would those players get bought out now? Doubtful.

 

[LetsDoughBuffalo]

(Take this in good fun)


Expecting a Jame meltdown at any moment now...

 

[Royal Thunder]

Pominville hate has got ridiculous on this forum lately.

Absolute worst case - he sucks but is still a borderline NHLer & plays on the 4th.

I think him playing on our fourth line and looking like a borderline NHL player is close to best case scenario. Even then, it still saddles our bottom 6 with a slow soft player who simply can't get there anymore, while other teams continue to add speed and tenacity to the bottom of their lineups. Absolute worst case is that we don't make any significant wing additions and he is riding shotgun to Eichel again. So there isn't really a good spot for him in the lineup. Oh well, one more year.

 

[SundherDome]

I agree with this notion, we shouldn't buy anyone out. Moulson will likely be moved for an echl body to a cap floor team. Pomms can be the 13th guy keeping a kid in the minors and Bogo will be bogo. Bealieu can be and extra body as well.

 

[Thorton02]

It's more important whether Botterill expects any of these guys to be on the roster than it is to buy them out. We don't need the space to buy out Moulson. We'll get a better buyout if we wait another year on Bogo. Pominville doesn't safe us that much space, which again isn't needed this year.

I'm ok if Bogosian battles for a bottom pairing spot, but the other guys should not be on this roster.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Der Jaeger]

Unless we get a gift and a team takes our garbage, not sure where the salary flexibility to add good players is gonna come from.

I don't think that's accurate. Botterill has 8 forwards and 5 defenders under contract from last season, with $19M in cap space at a $75M cap. I think that's plenty of space to add players as long as he's not handing out Leino-like contracts.

- Dahlin will be the 6th defender under contract and playing on his ELC.
- Ullmark will be one of the goalies, and he's playing for $750K.

Which leaves $17M to re-signed NHL RFAs (Reinhart, Wilson, Antipin) and fill 4 forwards, 1 defenders, and 1 goalie. That's almost $3M per roster spot, which is enough, especially if players like Olofsson, Bailey, Baptiste, Smith, Nelson, Guhle, and O'Regan make the final team.

I don't think not buying out anyone means ROR needs to be traded. I think Botterill just wants a clean break with Moulson and Pominville after the season, and just one more year of Bogosian. Bogosian's last year is also Mittelstadt's, and he'll be getting a significant pay raise if all goes according to plan.