So much for keeping the team together

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

Sabres veteran defenseman Jay McKee is prepared to become an unrestricted free agent next weekend, when he is expected to attract several lucrative, long-term offers.

Knowing it's a good possibility he's played his last game for Buffalo, McKee said Saturday he doesn't believe the Sabres are willing to make a considerable enough offer to re-sign him before the NHL's free agency period opens July 1.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/hockey/nhl/06/24/bc.hkn.sabres.mckee.ap/index.html

[SkateZilla]

Dude Dude Dude,

Quit Panic - ing,

if the sabres really want him there woud be a,
A. Long Term Contract,
B. Nice Chunk of $$$$ for 1 More Year,

I wouldnt Mind a 3 Year contract...

[clumping platelets]

If it's all about the money, he's a goner. I suspect his asking price is over $4 million......way too much considering Tallinder is gonna be a FA soon.

McKee is worth no more than $3 million/season....front loaded.

[RockStar36]

If McKee is worried about money first and winning second, then see ya. He should be willing to take the home town discount to stay in Buffalo for at least one more year. If he turns down their offer for one more year and wants the money....bye bye.

[SkateZilla]

If McKee is worried about money first and winning second, then see ya. He should be willing to take the home town discount to stay in Buffalo for at least one more year. If he turns down their offer for one more year and wants the money....bye bye.

Agreed, if so much isnt enough for him and he's expecting a 3.5 - 5 + Mill a year deal, then adios, he knows hte team wouldnt put htat kinda of money up to begin with, he's been withthe team all year and in all the interviews with ruff and the team they've stated that hi prices aren their style, and if he expects them to break that off just for him then well, he's got another thing coming,

I think he knows the team wont pay him what he wants.. and he's using it, to see what other teams will offer him, and he'll be dissapointed when no one comes a running with a 5 Mill/year contract..

We have Tallinder playing well, Soupy did great Late, Janik and Even Fitz Patrick Did GReat, and we have Lydman Doign great, keep them in shapoe and theres our Top 4 Defensemen, Janik Or Paetsh may make the team, trade Jillson away...

at least sign him a deal then trade him so we get something in return, and not another SATAN deal where we get nadda....:respect:

[ddaryl]

LMAO

the fact is McKee is worth what he is asking for, and 2nd the Sabres can't even spend to the salary cap limit.

If we can't spend to the cap limit then we are only going to continue to lose players and replace them with young players with less experience.

IMO the Sabres are going to take steps backwards next year, and it will be because we're a piss poor small market team who can't financially keep up with the big markets.

Any player who has been around for awhile knows the value of a good, long term contract. Its McKee's last chance to get paid well before he retires, and unfortunately the Sabres just can't and probably won't pony up.


How is everyone going to feel when we fail to resign 5 or 6 guys from last years team ? There is little chance of repeating last years run when you lose this many players, and Reiger and the Sabres have alreay made it well known that we are on a tight budget.

its painful being a Sabres fan. We have 1 week to go to sign our FA's and we've only made one offer. We have lots of ARFA's but lowballing our RFA's will just mean they will want to leave when they are UFA's. It will be interesting to see what Regier does here, but I'm not to optomisitc myself. I've been down this road a few times, and the sabres never just can't and won't spend.

[SABURZFAN]

kind of reminds me of a situation last year.zhitnik wanted a lot of money and we replaced him with numminen for nearly half of the cost.let's not cry that the sky is falling just yet.

[JD]

anyone want to protest the sabres front office? :snicker:

[JD]

i mean just look what that kind of talk did to the team last year.. i threatened with a protest...then they kicked ass! lets do it again :up:

[THATHURMANATOR]

If McKee is worried about money first and winning second, then see ya. He should be willing to take the home town discount to stay in Buffalo for at least one more year. If he turns down their offer for one more year and wants the money....bye bye.
Why should the guy take a 2 million dollar pay cut to sign a one year offer in Buffalo where he could have a career ending injury? Are you crazy. I don't fault him for taking the money in any way.

[chernobylwraiths]

Why should the guy take a 2 million dollar pay cut to sign a one year offer in Buffalo where he could have a career ending injury? Are you crazy. I don't fault him for taking the money in any way.

Absolutely. I would think a hometown discount is maximum 500,000 a year and that's probably too much. If he gets offered 5 mil a season, I can't hold it against him and I wish him luck. I think the Sabres will top out at about 3 a season.