Confirmed with Link: Tyler Ennis signs extension (5 years / $23M)

[Dex]

He writes as if when you sign a player you're stuck with him for the duration of the contract. Contracts/players are assets. Does anybody think that in 3 years Tyler Ennis as a UFA would be worth less than 4.6M a year?

He is just entering his prime, he'll be getting lots of playing time including the PP, the players around him will get better - Ennis most likely will be a 60 point forward in the next 3 years. If he and Nolan can figure out how to get him out of the gate faster it might be this season.

No, but the radio guys do this with every long contract. When you have an owner like Pegula, it's hard to fail at contracts like these.

From the article

And from a cap standpoint, keeping him under $5 million makes it reasonable and tradable.

Ennis’ contract is not an anchor. It still provides the Sabres some flexibility if they decide he does not belong as part of the long-term plan.

All in all, I think he presented the pros and cons in a fair and balanced way. No problem with the article from my standpoint.

 

[Endless Ike]

21 goals last year on that dumpster fire of a team is borderline amazing.

Good signing and glad he'll be sticking around.

 

[VanekFanatic26]

I dont think that's clear at all
At the end of the year, it was the Zemgus/Hodgson line getting equal or bigger minutes/shifts...

or we could accept that using the term #1 anything right now is pointless, and only serves cheerleading.

Not sure where you're getting that, seeing as Ennis averages the most TOI/60 and had more ice-time at the end of the season than Hodgson or Girgensons.

Only difference is Hodgson inexplicably gets penalty kill time.

http://www.extraskater.com/players/dashboard?players=1155,393,405&sort=toi

 

[Endless Ike]

Not sure where you're getting that, seeing as Ennis averages the most TOI/60 and had more ice-time at the end of the season than Hodgson or Girgensons.

Only difference is Hodgson inexplicably gets penalty kill time.

http://www.extraskater.com/players/dashboard?players=1155,393,405&sort=toi

There were 3 or 4 players good enough to produce offensively on a total dog **** team. Ennis was one of them. What's the problem?

 

[GameMisconduct]

Reasonable deal. Comparable to Hodgson's as it should be. Both are young offensive oriented players with some warts to their game. Both will be fine given production and cap hit and are both tradeable. I also see a role for both over the term here. We have great prospects but they will take time to develop that I think some here are significantly underestimating.

It's also interesting the perception skew here between them, given they had comparable seasons Hodgson had one less goal, but one more point in 8 fewer games). I think the timeline of their seasons has something to do with this: Tyler had a very dismal first half and better second half and Cody had the injury and second half slump, often with sub par linemates until he got pushed to the wing. Ennis' line fed off of each other (particularly he and Stafford) as the season went on and often looked like the only threat to score as the season wound down which I think also contributes. In the end, there's not that much difference between them and both have their uses.

I hope whenever these seemingly mythical assistant coaches arrive that focus on addressing some of the deficiencies in each of their games. With Ennis, I'd like to see work on faceoffs in particular.

 

[VanekFanatic26]

There were 3 or 4 players good enough to produce offensively on a total dog **** team. Ennis was one of them. What's the problem?

There wasn't really a problem so much as we have stats that make things clear. He said it wasn't clear at all who was #1. I thought it was.

 

[ZeroPT*]

I like it. Takes away UFA years which is a positive.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

Too much for that length of contract.

I personally don't think he is a lock to be in the team's long term future plans though. Hoping he proves me wrong.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

@BNHarrington

#Sabres also said no comment from GMTM today on Ennis, that he will speak after the 3-on-3 session tomorrow.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Too much for that length of contract.

I personally don't think he is a lock to be in the team's long term future plans though. Hoping he proves me wrong.

He doesn't have to be a lock; in 2 or 3 years at trade deadline his value will be higher considering he won't be a rental and he will still have 2 or 3 years left on his contract that makes him enticing to another team if he doesn't fit the rebuild. Giving him a NMC/NTC would be the dumbest thing ever in Sabres history however.

 

[enthusiast]

It's hard to imagine a team winning a stanley cup without 12 first line two-way power forwards, egad

 

[flashsabre]

I think it is a great deal for Ennis both in years and term. Both Murray and Nolan have stated that they like Ennis so he will be part of the core moving forward and the deal is not untradeble if need be.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

@BNHarrington

#Sabres Edge -- Agent on Ennis contract: 'We haven't scratched the surface yet to what Tyler can be' http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2014/07/agent-on-ennis-contract.html

"I believe that Tyler's challenge has been that he's an undersized guy his whole career but he's overcome that obstacle," King said by phone from Los Angeles. "I think Tyler is going to be like some of the smaller guys that have gone through the Buffalo Sabres over the years and gone on to great careers in the NHL. I clearly believe we haven't scratched the surface yet to what Tyler can be."

 

[ZZamboni]

I don't like the 5 years. But I fully understand the whole team control is attractive if moved angle. That being said, good for Ennis, not a terrible contract if he continues improving. And there's no reason to think he won't. May the whipping boy arguments commence!

 

[Zip15]

$7.3m in Year 1.

Mike Harrington ‏@BNHarrington 6m
Ennis will make $7.3 million this season and $4.75M in 2015-16. He will then get $3.65M in each of the final three years. (2/2) #Sabres

Certainly makes him easier to trade later in the contract, if that's the avenue they choose.

 

[Gabrielor]

$7.3m in Year 1.



Certainly makes him easier to trade later in the contract, if that's the avenue they choose.

Interesting...hedging the bets...

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

$7.3m in Year 1.



Certainly makes him easier to trade later in the contract, if that's the avenue they choose.

They've been using Pegula bucks to this end for a while now.

Hopefully Murray/Nolan can drive home the message that "we're paying upfront as a token of goodwill and to establish our organization, but also so that if you suck, we can trade you more easily" than Regier/Ruff did. Especially if those "contracts creating locker room rift" rumors had any teeth.

 

[sba]

Yikes, that's not much of a long term vote of confidence.

 

[Zip15]

Yikes, that's not much of a long term vote of confidence.

Both sides get what they want. Ennis gets more upfront, and actually makes the deal more lucrative from a present value of money perspective. The Sabres get to hedge their bets and make it easier to move him if they choose to--a big if.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

Both sides get what they want. Ennis gets more upfront, and actually makes the deal more lucrative from a present value of money perspective. The Sabres get to hedge their bets and make it easier to move him if they choose to--a big if.

Exactly, and this is not something every franchise has the ability to do.

 

[TimMcClure*]

Very smart, makes him more enticing to other teams a couple years down the pike.

 

[dotcommunism]

Both sides get what they want. Ennis gets more upfront, and actually makes the deal more lucrative from a present value of money perspective. The Sabres get to hedge their bets and make it easier to move him if they choose to--a big if.

I'd also assume a fair amount of that year one money is signing bonus, meaning it would probably be even more upfront than it would if it were paragraph 1 salary (which gets paid throughout the season)

 

[TragicallySabres]

I like the signing. I'm a fan of Ennis, and he scored 21 goals last year. I know it's been said before, but with how awful the team was scoring goals last season, I can only imagine what he could do on a contender (if TM feels he can be a part of, which I feel this signing indicates). He can slip down to the third line down the road if our prospects pan out, as we hope. And fill in at center, as well as play the wing. He can be a key part of a playoff team for us when that time comes.

 

[Dubi Doo]

Both sides get what they want. Ennis gets more upfront, and actually makes the deal more lucrative from a present value of money perspective. The Sabres get to hedge their bets and make it easier to move him if they choose to--a big if.

Agreed. Both sides should be happy.

 

[yahhockey]

Moulson/Ennis/Stewart to start the year. Lets see what our "top" offensive line has to offer. Thankfully for the tank things go downhill quickly after that first line.

Now that he has been paid I hope Ennis is practicing faceoffs all day every day over the summer. He may have been getting a lot of ice time last year but 38.7% or whatever his faceoff percentage was needs to be improved.