Loading ...Gaustad In The Fold
Jun 30, 2008 NHL
Paul Gaustad of the Buffalo Sabres has signed a 4 year, 9.2 million dollar deal according to TSN. Goose was set to be a restricted free agent noon tomorrow, and now Paille, MacArthur and Bernier are the remaining RFAs. Good to see him back, although the number sounds a tad high. I guess that’s where the market is going (again).
Pre-UFA Player Movement
Jun 30, 2008 NHL
Free Agency starts tomorrow, but several names are already off the market. The rights to Gary Roberts and Ryan Malone were traded from the Pens to the Lightning, with both players signing new deals (Malone 7 years, $31.5 million, Roberts 1 year, $1.2 million). The Lightning also acquired the rights to negotiate with Brian Rolston of the Wild. Colorado re-signed Adam Foote and Jean-Michael Liles, taking away two more D-men for the Sabres to pursue. Lubomir Visnovsky was also traded to the Oilers, in exchange for Jarret Stoll and Matt Greene. I know there are still plenty of possibilities, but there are times I wish the Sabres were in the mix for some of this.
Tags: avalanche, buffalo, colorado, foote, greene, Hockey, lightning, liles, malone, minnesota, NHL, penguins, pittsburgh, roberts, rolston, sabres, signing, stoll, tampa bay, trade, visnovsky, wild
Brian Campbell: SS, Different City
Jun 28, 2008 NHL
David Pollak from the Mercury News out in San Jose spoke with Brian Campbell about his contract talks and plans, and boy does it sound a lot like what we heard incessantly last year:
This hasn’t been the most enjoyable experience. There’s been a lot of tossing and turning, and I’m looking forward to getting it done. It’s an opportunity, but there’s also a lot of pressure.
The ‘pressure’ was certainly a concern last year. Also mentioned is that he wants to be closer to his family…sorry buddy, not for $6.5 million.
Tags: buffalo, campbell, Hockey, NHL, sabres, san jose, sharks
Draft Bio: TheTick
Man of Inaction
Inspired by Heather B. of Top Shelf.
TheTick
- Position: Out of position, usually.
- Shoots: Right.
- Height: 6′1″. Weight: 210lbs.
- Born: April 7, 1978, Virginia Beach, VA.
- Hometown: Buffalo, NY.
- Player Comparison: The fat guy in NES Ice Hockey.
While unskilled physically, TheTick is known for having an amazing hockey sense amongst his peers. Despite never having strapped on skates before the NHL Combine, still managed to best the time of current NHLer Derian Hatcher. Dives like a soccer superstar. Potential 25 goal scorer, if playing on the same line as Alexander Ovechkin.
Favorites
NHL TEAM: Buffalo Sabres
NHL PLAYER: Thomas Vanek
SHOOTOUT MOVE: drill it off the goalie’s mask
PRACTICE DRILL: pretending to go down when elbowed like I was just shot with a sniper rifle
VIDEO GAME: Final Fantasy IV, VI, Diablo II
MOVIE: Iron Man
TV SHOW: CSI (all of them), House, MXC (right you are Ken), Star Trek
ACTOR: Patrick Stewart
GROUP: Genesis
WEBSITE: Deadspin
BOOK: Ender’s Game, Speaker for the Dead
PUMP-UP SONG: Bodies, Drowning Pool
FOOD TO COOK: Grilled Cheese
ACTIVITY AWAY FROM THE RINK: reading, PC gaming, drawing
TOY GROWING UP: NES
PLACE TO SHOP: Best Buy (but I don’t buy anything)
PLACE TO VISIT: New Orleans, LA
Brooks Orpik - Opening the Door?
Jun 27, 2008 NHL
Local boy Brooks Orpik turned down the latest contract offer from the Penguins, which might open the door for his unrestricted free agency.
“We did receive an offer, which we turned down,” (agent Lewis) Gross told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday. “But we’re still talking, and we’ll see where it goes.”
The 27-year-old Orpik had one goal, 10 assists and a team-high 239 hits in 78 games this season.
The 18th overall selection in the 2000 draft, Orpik has four tallies, 32 assists and 392 penalty minutes in 297 career games - all with the Penguins.
They are still negotiating, but Sabres fans are hoping this means he wants to come here (with the hometown discount, of course).
Tags: buffalo, Hockey, NHL, orpik, penguins, pittsburgh, sabres, signing
Cap Expansion
Jun 26, 2008 NHL
The NHL salary cap rises to $56.7 million for this upcoming season, a rise of 6.4 million bucks. The LOWER limit is $40.7 million. I read (maybe at Mirtle) that 3 teams last season did not even hit that lower number. Did the lockout happen?
Tags: Hockey, NHL, salary cap
Sabres Extend Qualifying Offers
Jun 25, 2008 NHL
Darcy Regier and the Buffalo Sabres announced that they have extended qualifying offers to all 5 of their restricted free agents. Steve Bernier, Paul Gaustad, Dan Paille, Mark Mancari and Clarke MacArthur are the players in question. In case you are wondering what that means:
By extending an offer, Buffalo retains the rights to each player and can match any offer extended to those players by other teams. Under NHL rules, other teams are allowed to make offers to restricted free agents. If the Sabres were to refuse to match the offer, they would be entitled to draft picks as compensation.
Shouldn’t be any blockbuster offers for any of these guys this year, so it shouldn’t be a stretch to think all will be back. I’ll be happier when Goose, Big Bear, The Little General and Key Lime are signed, though.
Tags: bernier, buffalo, gaustad, Hockey, macarthur, mancari, NHL, paille, sabres, signing
xkcd - Babies
Jun 25, 2008 Media
I know I felt like this when we first had my son (well, I didn’t want to disassemble him. I’m not so good with tools). Click on the picture to go to xkcd.com and get the alt-texty goodness. And read the archive if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
