Buffalo Sabres Rumors: Sabres “All-In” On Steven Stamkos
If the current Buffalo Sabres rumors are correct, the team is about to make Stammer an offer he can’t refuse . . . .
Hold onto your seats. Secure any loose items. Schedule an appointment with your doctor to have your heart checked. And say a prayer to whatever God, gods or superhuman entity you believe in.
The Buffalo Sabres rumors surrounding Steven Stamkos are back, and they sound serious:
Forget bogus “insiders” posting the usual crap on Twitter – this is TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger we’re talking about here, who made an appearance on Montreal’s TSN690 this morning to discuss, among other things, Jimmy Vesey and the possibility of Buffalo acquiring Stammer.
Here’s what Dreger had to say:
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"There’s a lot of speculation that they’re going absolutely all-in on Steven Stamkos. I mean, some of the numbers being rumored – and I always hate throwing out or building off rumors, because as an Insider, our job is to separate fact from fiction. But Newport isn’t talking and neither is the Tampa Bay Lightning, so nothing has changed there. But some of the numbers being speculated on are upwards of $12 million per year coming out of Buffalo."
I’ll get to the number that Dreger threw out in a minute, but let’s start by talking about the positives. It’s pretty clear that Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula is serious about winning a championship, and that he is willing to spend money to achieve that goal. If the Buffalo Sabres can go out and get Steven Stamkos, it will certainly affect Jimmy Vesey’s decision about whether or not to sign with the Sabres. As Dreger put it,
"I mean, if the Buffalo Sabres are going to spend that kind of dough in free agency on Steven Stamkos… if I’m Jimmy Vesey, and I’m looking at what we have in Jack Eichel, the aggressiveness if they’re able to land another piece like Stamkos, why wouldn’t I consider (Buffalo) as the real deal"
And if Vesey decides to pass, having a player like Stamkos on the roster gives other players in the NHL good reason to come play in the 716.
Having said that, if the Buffalo Sabres rumors are true and the team is willing to offer Stamkos up of $12 million a year, the team better win the Stanley Cup next season. I kid, sort of, but if the Sabres do shell out that kind of money for Stammer, they will have nearly $20 million devoted to JUST Stamkos and Ryan O’Reilly. That’s a little under 1/3 of the entire team payroll, folks – and we’re not even considering the salaries of Evander Kane ($5.25 million), Tyler Ennis ($4.6 million) and Zach Bogosian ($5,142,857). Right now, the Sabres have a little over $21 million in cap space, and they still need to negotiate with RFAs Rasmus Ristolainen, Jake McCabe, Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno and Casey Nelson.
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That’s a lot of people left to get paid, with (maybe) less than $9 million to play with.
And don’t even get me started on where Steven Stamkos is going to play, since he maintains that he wishes to remain a center!
Talking about the Buffalo Sabres rumors involving Stamkos is tricky business, since these are still rumors, even if Darren Drager is involved. It’s a polarizing topic, since many fans think this should be GM Tim Murray’s number one priority this offseason, while a good deal of us are afraid this type of contract will severely hurt the Sabres down the road. Regardless, it’s out of our hands, so until we hear more, discuss down below!