Sabres won't spend to the cap

[Philagape]

Cap going over Sabres heads
As limit on salaries rises, team placing own restraints

By Tim Graham
NEWS SPORTS REPORTER

The Buffalo Sabres are preparing to spend right up to the salary cap again next season. Their salary cap, not the NHL’s.

“We will have our own budget,” Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn said, “and it will be a responsible one.”

The Sabres raked in the bucks this season. They’ve sold out HSBC Arena 50 straight times. They reached the Eastern Conference finals a second year in a row. They’ll get another cut of league revenue sharing. Their merchandise has been hotter than Arizona asphalt.

Despite high yields and their owner’s estimated net worth of $1.7 billion, the Sabres remain a small-market franchise. They already have decided they can’t afford to spend up to the NHL’s salary cap, expected to go up from $44 million to about $48 million and possibly higher.

The Sabres still are figuring out their hockey budget for 2007-08, but an unwillingness to push the payroll limit likely will make it difficult to resign co-captains Daniel Briere and Chris Drury while keeping top goal scorer Thomas Vanek happy.

http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/story/85035.html

[Michael82]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

I should have known that Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier would go back to their "cheap" ways.

You get the whole city excited again and spend as close to the cap as you can, and make a TON of money from merchandise, tickets and everything else...yet you go back to the old "our own salary cap" ways the next season.....

[Bufftp]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

I should have known that Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier would go back to their "cheap" ways.

They are a business and should be responsible in how they manage the club for its long term stability.

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

I should have known that Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier would go back to their "cheap" ways.

You get the whole city excited again and spend as close to the cap as you can, and make a TON of money from merchandise, tickets and everything else...yet you go back to the old "our own salary cap" ways the next season.....

And they said the same thing before this season.

I alsonotice that you leave Galisono out of the decision, as if he had nothign to do with it.

Also, how much money did they make? A rough figure will be OK.

[Don't Panic]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

That would be interesting to see... just how much we pulled in in revenues vs. what went out in expenses. I'll tell you one thing, its never going to be as good for them $$$ wise as it was this past year, so if they can't reach the cap now, I don't know how they ever will. Part of me thinks they may be posturing for the upcoming FA season.

[YardRat]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

I should have known that Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier would go back to their "cheap" ways.

You get the whole city excited again and spend as close to the cap as you can, and make a TON of money from merchandise, tickets and everything else...yet you go back to the old "our own salary cap" ways the next season.....

Both Regier and Golisano have said their #1 priority is re-signing Briere and Drury, and some hack from TBN says they 'might' not be able to because of a cap comment, and all of a sudden the hack is right and the organization is cheap?

[LABillsFan]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

Hey the team was bankrupt. I believe that 2005-2006 was the first time they had made a profit as a team in some years, and a minimal one. Galisano knows what this team means to the city. If they don't win a championship it won't be because of him. How many years have the Rangers spent a ton of money and not even make the playoffs, St. Louis is another example from a few years ago.

[Ebenezer]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

if they stay under the cap they don't have to worry about moving salary to add players at the deadline next year...

it also depends on how much under the cap they will be...if they only spend $25 mil we should all be pissed...if they spend 90% of the cap why should there be a problem?

[BillsSabresB.C.T. Fan]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

after reading this it sounds like they aren't going to attempt to bring back Drury or Briere or Zubrus or bring in some other FA. Like I said before in another thread they're going to promote some players from Rochester and fill them in the empty roster spaces. Stafford can take Briere's, spot Paille can take Drury's spot etc. etc. etc. that's what they're going to do.

here are some other names that could be here on the Sabres roster that played in Rochester last season
ADAM DENNIS (G)
MICHAEL FUNK(D)
TIMO HELBLING(D)
DYLAN HUNTER (LW)
*PATRICK KALETA* (RW) I heard he's already back in Buffalo working out. My friend goes to the same gym that he goes to.
MIKKO LEHTONEN (D)
CLARKE MACARTHUR(LW)
MICHAEL RYAN (D)
ANDREJ SEKERA(D)
MAREK ZAGRAPAN(C)

[Dr. Lecter]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

after reading this it sounds like they aren't going to attempt to bring back Drury or Briere or Zubrus or bring in some other FA. Like I said before in another thread they're going to promote some players from Rochester and fill them in the empty roster spaces. Stafford can take Briere's, spot Paille can take Drury's spot etc. etc. etc. that's what they're going to do.

It does not sound like that at all.

[Mr. Pink]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

They've stated they're not gonna spend up to the cap for basically one reason. Remember this year and how hamstrung the organization was this year in trying to bring in a talent, ie Zubrus, for a cup run? They had to move salary, Biron, in order to get Zubrus in. We don't have a backup goaltender to move to save 2+ million at the deadline this year. So, they're not spending to cap, so at the deadline they can have some maneuverability.

[chernobylwraiths]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

They spent to the cap last year and it didn't really get them what they wanted. Now, if they had maybe spent some of that money on different players, maybe things would have been different, but they didn't and you can't change the past.

Now, I hope they know what kind of team they will need to win the Cup. If they go out and get the type of guys that it will take, get rid of some of the ones that won't help, make good offers to Drury and Briere and spend somewhere close to what they spent last year, I would have no problem. The Sabres deserve the benefit of the doubt for now. They SHOWED last year the type of financial commitment to win.

[chernobylwraiths]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

And, though I liked Zubrus, I don't care if he comes back. If the Capitals tried to sign him what was rumored to be 10 million for 3 years and he wouldn't sign, I would think he might want more money. If he signs a decent contract I would love to have him, but not at the expense of guys like Drury or Briere.

[Michael82]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

They spent to the cap last year and it didn't really get them what they wanted. Now, if they had maybe spent some of that money on different players, maybe things would have been different, but they didn't and you can't change the past.

Now, I hope they know what kind of team they will need to win the Cup. If they go out and get the type of guys that it will take, get rid of some of the ones that won't help, make good offers to Drury and Briere and spend somewhere close to what they spent last year, I would have no problem. The Sabres deserve the benefit of the doubt for now. They SHOWED last year the type of financial commitment to win.

Good post!

[SpillerThrills]

Re: Sabres won't spend to the cap

And, though I liked Zubrus, I don't care if he comes back. If the Capitals tried to sign him what was rumored to be 10 million for 3 years and he wouldn't sign, I would think he might want more money. If he signs a decent contract I would love to have him, but not at the expense of guys like Drury or Briere.

I thought I heard that the only "major" thing holding up Zubrus from signing in Washington was length of contract.... I thought I heard that he wanted a 4 year deal and the Caps only wanted to give him 3...... but I could be wrong.