msw2112

I agree as well. I liked Kane as a player, but he was going to be a UFA and either he was going to leave and we would have gotten no return, or he would have commanded a huge salary to stay. Whether or not his personality was a good fit for what the team is trying to do in the future is debatable, and he has had some injury issues, but the UFA situation is undeniable. Theoretically, we still could re-sign him after the playoffs, when he will be a UFA, but most likely, he will get more money elsewhere and/or elect to play in a more cosmopolitan market than Buffalo. I love Buffalo and a lot of NHL (and NFL) players do, but it isn't for everybody. The Kane situation is quite similar to the situation the Bills faced with Sammy Watkins last season. In the end, the Bills made the right move by trading him. They got a decent return (2nd round pick and the services of a decent CB for 1 season) for a player they were certain to lose in Free Agency for nothing. He ended up getting something like $16 million from the Chiefs, and there's no way the Bills would have been able to match that, given their variety of needs and their salary cap situation. And even if they wanted to match the Chiefs' offer, there's no guarantee that Sammy would have accepted it.

I'm shocked and impressed that Phoenix made the top 10. Although the Coyotes finished the season strong, their attendance is always low. It is a combination of factors: a poor team, an arena that is in the far west suburbs while a lot of the hockey fans live in the central city or east suburbs, and a non-traditional hockey market. I understand Buffalo being on the list with no horse in the race, but Phoenix is a real surprise. Maybe that's why the league has bent over backwards to keep the franchise from moving.

O'Reilly is not having a good year so far, so his play/production so far this year don't justify his hefty salary. That said, the rising tide lifts all boats. The team seems to be getting a grasp of Housley's system of late and the team is playing better hockey (with mixed results in the W-L column). As the team improves as a whole, the individuals on the team are looking better and stats are improving (Eichel, Reinhart, Okposo, etc.) O'Reilly is a good hockey player and as the team plays better, he will play better. If he remains a part of the team, he will eventually get back to his expected level of play and will justify his salary.

Seems like a fair deal for a guy with some upside. He was a 1st round pick for a reason. He has some grit, some speed and some scoring ability. He showed well a couple of years ago and his development seemed to screech to a halt under the previous coaching regime. Let's hope he can regain his form with the new regime. If so, this contract could be a bargain. If not, teams need veterans on the 3rd and 4th lines whose contracts don't break the bank and I think that Girgs and this new deal fit that bill.

While I believe in a free market system in general, the salary cap has its place in preserving the integrity of the league. Without one, in this day and age, we would probably see a disproportionate number of players signing in big markets with good teams. How many Cups would Chicago and LA have won if there was no salary cap? The cap (and the draft system) forces talented players to be more dispersed throughout the league, which creates parity and results in more teams being in the hunt. Less cosmopolitan markets, particularly those that have not had recent success (both of which define Buffalo) are able to compete for Free Agent talent that might otherwise sign elsewhere.

Seems like a solid hire with a lot of NHL experience. Was about a .500 head coach with St. Louis and won a cup as an assistant with the Kings. Probably not someone that would be high on the list for a head coaching position, but seems like a good fit for an assistant. Does anyone know if he has any specialties - PP, PK, Forwards, Defense, etc.? I read a few things I could find online and there wasn't much beyond where he has coached and what his record was.

Now that we have added 3 defensemen in Antapin, Beaulieu and Scandella, we don't need that Shatt.

This looks about right to me.

I have idea what agreements are in place, but I read one opinion stating that we left Carrier unprotected (and protected Ennis instead) based on an agreement with LV that they would not take Ullmark if we left Carrier unprotected so that they could take him. Given the surprise to most that we protected Ennis and not Carrier leads me to believe that this opinion is plausible and that they will probably take Carrier. He's a legitimate prospect - has speed, size and some grit. He hasn't show the ability to finish, but that's why he's still a prospect - he's still developing and the scoring touch may come. Even if it doesn't, he still has the speed, size and grit and teams need guys on the 3rd and 4th lines too. As a side note, I hope they don't take Bogo. I think that he can improve with the new coaching staff and if he becomes a top-4 D, his contract won't be so out of line.