Buffalo Sabres GM Denies $12 Million Stamkos Rumor

The Buffalo Sabres GM said what he had to say, but is it true?

Just the other day, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported that the Buffalo Sabres were absolutely going all-in on pending UFA Steven Stamkos.

While that was not the least bit surprising, what was eye-popping was the number that Dreger floated out there while he was on the air with Montreal’s TSN690: namely, that the Sabres would be willing to pay at least $12 million per season for Stamkos’ services.

To be fair, Dreger admitted that he was reluctant to discuss numbers, and went out of his way to point out that hockey insiders try very hard to distinguish fact from fiction. Still, no one held a gun to his head and made him disclose a number – he willingly tossed $12 million on-the-air, so that is the frame of reference we fans have as we debate whether or not it is wise for the Buffalo Sabres to bring Stamkos into the 716.

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Of course, Sabres GM Tim Murray caught wind of Dreger’s number and had this to say about it:

We have not even discussed an offer, so I don’t know where the rumors are coming from. Everybody knows that whoever does go after him is going to be spending a lot of money, but we haven’t really discussed a firm offer internally. (Courtesy of The Buffalo News)

Granted, this was the only acceptable response that Murray could make. The NHL forbids any teams to talk to or even talk about free agents on other teams until July 1, which is unlike the NBA, where teams are given a window in which teams can negotiate with players before a contract is signed. Had GMTM come out and admitted, “Yep. We’ve thrown that number around with Stamkos’ camp!” the NHL tosses the dreaded “tampering” word out there and the Sabres get fined, or worse.

But was GMTM really being honest when he said that the Sabres “haven’t discussed a firm offer internally”?

A reputable insider such as Darren Dreger has made a career out of avoiding baseless rumors and reporting information he has gleaned from credible sources. It’s one thing for Dreger to say, “The Sabres are going all-in on Stamkos” – I think most of us could have made that call. The minute he includes a number, though – well, he didn’t get that number from thin air. Someone he trusts provided him with that information, so in this instance you are more inclined to believe that Dreger might be close, and that Murray has to distance himself as much as he can from Dreger’s comment.

Looking at the numbers around the NHL, Dreger’s number begins to make more sense. Steven Stamkos is only 26 years-old, with many people believing he is just now in the prime of his career. He’s the best free agent in this year’s crop, bar none, and he’s a player who has topped 90 points three times in his career, and has never failed to score 40 points in a season in which he has played 40 or more games. Compare Stammer’s offensive production to someone like Ryan O’Reilly, who will cost the Sabres $11 million in 2016-17. O’Reilly may be more of a two-way player than Stamkos, but Stammer is a two-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner and has been an All-Star four times. If you don’t think Stamkos will earn more money than ROR . . . we’ll just agree to disagree!

(But you’d be wrong!)

(Mind you, I’m not saying he is WORTH that much money – I’m just saying it’s what the market will determine he is worth.)

Next: Sabres Release 2016-17 Regular Season Schedule

If you were hoping that the Buffalo Sabres were not crazy enough to commit over 16% of their payroll to just one player, then, chances are you will be disappointed. Twelve million dollars per season sounds about right for a free agent such as Steven Stamkos, even if you argue that his health and slightly declining numbers say otherwise (and they do). I dare say $12 million might actually be the starting price in the bidding war, so if you truly want the Sabres to bring Stammer into the 716, have your Tums handy, because it should get hairy.

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