Sabres Sign Dahlin to an 8 Year 88 Million Dollar Extension

[LTS]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

According to capfriendly the contract has full NMC years 2-8.  

Well poop.  When I looked earlier it wasn't on there.  scratch my theory.

[DarthEbriate]

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Realistically, longer term, is it smart cap management to have +$20m locked up between 2 defensemen?

Or spread that other $10m between 2 or 3 other top 4/6 d-men? Or future core guys like Peterka, Quinn, Benson, Savoie, Kulich, etc?

Something has to give at some point, especially if they continue to draft well.   IMO it wouldn't be smart to have +20% of your cap tied up between 2 defensemen.

How do you justify +$10m for Power when he's not even your PP1 QB.   

If I'm Power, I'm quietly looking for a way out so I can spread my wings as a true #1 defenseman.    Never gonna happen in Buffalo.   That said, maybe that's the best for Buffalo as well, imagine the haul they could get for him... it could transform the entire franchise.

I have no issues locking my 2 best players up for $20 million, regardless of position, especially if they are each playing 25 minutes a game. Having my 2 best centres locked up long-term for $14 million makes it even easier.

For whatever it’s worth, Adams repeated this morning what he has said previously: Power wants to sign in Buffalo long-term, conversations are ongoing and intense and it’s about finding a number that works for both sides.

Ive been saying for months, something around the Aaron Ekblad contract is what it will take get it done. In today’s dollars, that’s 8 years at a little over $8.5 million.

[Sabres Super Fan]

The NHL cap is going up and the Buffalo Sabres are comfortable with these numbers for Rasmus Dahlin. The Buffalo Sabres are around Rasmus Dahlin we aren’t as Buffalo Sabres fans so I don’t have any issues with what the Buffalo Sabres paid. They are going all in with their own young Sabres players and hopefully it works out because if it doesn’t Kevyn Adams and Don Granato will both be fired if history of PSE ownership is any indication in my opinion. Go Sabres! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[French Collection]

35 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Realistically, longer term, is it smart cap management to have +$20m locked up between 2 defensemen?

Or spread that other $10m between 2 or 3 other top 4/6 d-men? Or future core guys like Peterka, Quinn, Benson, Savoie, Kulich, etc?

Something has to give at some point, especially if they continue to draft well.   IMO it wouldn't be smart to have +20% of your cap tied up between 2 defensemen.

How do you justify +$10m for Power when he's not even your PP1 QB.   

If I'm Power, I'm quietly looking for a way out so I can spread my wings as a true #1 defenseman.    Never gonna happen in Buffalo.   That said, maybe that's the best for Buffalo as well, imagine the haul they could get for him... it could transform the entire franchise.

Never say never.

Sid and Malkin found a way to coexist, Malkin could have been 1C elsewhere.

[JoeSchmoe]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

If you want to get team friendly deals like you described in 1, you need to do what you say what you don’t want to do in 2.  You need to make bets on player projection.

Thompson, Cozens, and Samuelsson hadn’t proven that they were worth those contracts when they signed them.  Adams made those deals because he believed that they would be.

So you could probably sign Power long term for $8.5-9M right now, or sign him to a lesser bridge deal, then sign him long term for $11M three years from now.

From what I've seen of Power so far, I project him being worth about $8 or 9 million a season when he peaks. His draft class was seen as weak overall, and in most years he might have been in the 3 to 6 OA slot. 

My opinion is it's only his #1 OA pick that has him projected in the $11M ballpark. 

If starts using his size defensively, and greatly improves his shot, I can be proven wrong. Given he still played smaller than what he is in college, I'm thinking he doesn't have the big dog mentality in him.

[Curt]

7 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

From what I've seen of Power so far, I project him being worth about $8 or 9 million a season when he peaks. His draft class was seen as weak overall, and in most years he might have been in the 3 to 6 OA slot. 

My opinion is it's only his #1 OA pick that has him projected in the $11M ballpark. 

If starts using his size defensively, and greatly improves his shot, I can be proven wrong. Given he still played smaller than what he is in college, I'm thinking he doesn't have the big dog mentality in him.

Semi related question.  What was your opinion of Dahlin after his second season?

Young players improve.  Some of the most common areas of improvement are strength, defensive zone details, and shot.

[RochesterExpat]

I'm not going to stress about $500K-$1M that I feel it's over by. It's done. That's good enough for me.

[Ducky]

Over, under, too much term, blah blah blah...the important thing is that he is signed and that he signed before the season started so this is done with and won't be lingering all season.

[LabattBlue]

I am interested in seeing how Dahlin will look when it is down the stretch and fighting to move up against the cream of the crop teams & also come playoff time?

Hopefully find out next spring. 🤞🏻

[JoeSchmoe]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

Semi related question.  What was your opinion of Dahlin after his second season?

Young players improve.  Some of the most common areas of improvement are strength, defensive zone details, and shot.

Didn't like his defensive game either, but had higher hopes for him based on him being more highly touted. Also he started a year younger, played for a far worse team, and was put into much higher leverage situations given there was no one else really besides him.

Edit: I would have taken 7 or 7.5mill a season over 8 years when he signed his bridge deal. 

Edited October 9, 2023 by JoeSchmoe

[xzy89c1]

2 hours ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Two comments...

1 Even though I'm happy he's signed, this one may set a precedent amongst the players and the days of us getting team friendly deals like the last 3 big ones might be over. 

2 I'm not signing any long term contracts with Power until he shows he can play better defense. Picking up the defensive side of the game can take a few years for a young D, but I wouldn't want to take the risk given what I've seen of him so far. He needs to work on his shot too.

They were not team friendly deals out of players love for buffalo. The players received guaranteed money right now far above what they would receive if they played out ELC to bridge to Arb to FA etc.. It was good for the players and particularly good for the team if players continued to improve. If Samuelson keeps getting hurt, then the deal is not the great deal we hoped it would be.

[ddaryl]

3 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

I am interested in seeing how Dahlin will look when it is down the stretch and fighting to move up against the cream of the crop teams & also come playoff time?

Hopefully find out next spring. 🤞🏻

I was kind of hoping for this spring myself

[Curt]

13 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

Didn't like his defensive game either, but had higher hopes for him based on him being more highly touted. Also he started a year younger, played for a far worse team, and was put into much higher leverage situations given there was no one else really besides him.

Edit: I would have taken 7 or 7.5mill a season over 8 years when he signed his bridge deal. 

My issue is just that, if you see Power as a guy who will be worth $8-9M (in today’s money) in a few years, and you bridge him.  3-4 years from now, that $8-9M is going to be $9.5-10.5M because of the cap increases.

For me, if you can sign him to an 8 year extension under $9M, I probably pull the trigger on that.

[LGR4GM]

I'm fine with waiting on signing Power. He's got some questions I'd like answered. 

[...]

6 hours ago, Curt said:

Ok.  It’s $0.5M more than I expected, but if it’s going to be a tad high then I’m glad that it is 8 instead of 7 or 6.  That was probably just the cost of getting him locked up for the full 8 years.  I think he is the future captain.

Dahlin under contract for 9 more seasons!  Woo hoo!

Yes, the thread really didn't need to proceed after this post. I think @Curt nailed it - if they wanted Dahlin for more than, say, five years, they were going to have to pay him absolute top dollar. And they did, so that's that.

Edited October 9, 2023 by ...
Eeergh.

[Berg]

4 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Can't wait to see him in a playoff game.

Perhaps as a spectator at the stadium..

[Huckleberry]

3 hours ago, pi2000 said:

Realistically, longer term, is it smart cap management to have +$20m locked up between 2 defensemen?

Or spread that other $10m between 2 or 3 other top 4/6 d-men? Or future core guys like Peterka, Quinn, Benson, Savoie, Kulich, etc?

Something has to give at some point, especially if they continue to draft well.   IMO it wouldn't be smart to have +20% of your cap tied up between 2 defensemen.

How do you justify +$10m for Power when he's not even your PP1 QB.   

If I'm Power, I'm quietly looking for a way out so I can spread my wings as a true #1 defenseman.    Never gonna happen in Buffalo.   That said, maybe that's the best for Buffalo as well, imagine the haul they could get for him... it could transform the entire franchise.

They are our niedermayer and pronger playing 30 mins a night come playoffs. 🙂

[dudacek]

So happy for him and for us.

He’s a keeper.

https://www.nhl.com/sabres/video/rasmus-dahlin-press-conference-6338736075112

 

[Taro T]

6 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

The 11 AAV hurts a tad but between our Thompson/Cozens contract being value contracts and the fact we bought 7 UFA years of Dahlin; I’m good.

The $11MM is $0.5MM higher than everybody would've been extremely pleased with.  Considering this guy is going to be in the Norris discussion for all the 9 years this contract will take him through, it's a good contract.  He left money on the table and the team will still be able to add support pieces around him.  Both sides should be happy with where it ended up.

Now please lock up Power and Mittelstadt.

[nfreeman]

1 hour ago, Ducky said:

Over, under, too much term, blah blah blah...the important thing is that he is signed and that he signed before the season started so this is done with and won't be lingering all season.

I agree with the important thing, but I also think 8 years is important and I’m quite happy about that part of it.  
 

14 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

They are our niedermayer and pronger playing 30 mins a night come playoffs. 🙂

That would be amazing but we are miles away from there just now.  

[Taro T]

4 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

Can't wait to see him in a playoff game.

Join the crowd.  😉

[GoPuckYourself]

6 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Now we just need to start a ..... "He's dating Taylor Swift" tweet to make her sit in the stands and have all the swifties buy up tickets to the games.

Edited October 9, 2023 by GoPuckYourself

[Taro T]

Just now, GoPuckYourself said:

Now we just need to start a ..... "He's dating Taylor Swift" tweet to make here sit in the stands and have all the swifties buy up tickets to the games.

Please, anything but that.  They're worse than Loaf fans when you get 'em in mob mode.  😉

[LGR4GM]

9 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

Now we just need to start a ..... "He's dating Taylor Swift" tweet to make her sit in the stands and have all the swifties buy up tickets to the games.

Side note, his gf was definitely here during the prospect challenge. They were watching the one game together.