just take ben bishop’s deal from dallas. it’s less money than cap hit and he’s only got a year left i believe

Gonna have to take a cap dump(s) or make a substantial UFA acquisitinon.

They will just add more player that can’t play anymore. Bishop, Gardner. They don’t want a cap dump that will take away a roster spot.

Adams is unlikely to go after any of the 12 UFAs leaving buffalo this off season other than Anderson and that's doubtful. With Krebs, Quinn and Peterka likely to join the Sabres full time next season, this leaves Adams with the need to spend $20,000,000.00 on UFAs and through trade just to reach the cap floor. Buffalo is unlikely to take on any huge salary for more than two years given the need to sign Dahlin, Power and Mittelstadt if he shows any improvement next year. The remaining current cap space will get a hit from resigning Thompson and Cozens next offseason. The numbers and cap savings all make sense to keep this young core in place for a good long time.

What's the Ben Bishop deal? Picks to take on his cap hit from Dallas?

If we're giving 2.5M to a RHD vet, I'd much rather give it to Pysyk. He's already gelled with the team, has proven to be a positive impact on all our young players, and his impact on the ice is a definitive positive (both in terms of eye test and advanced stats).

Why are we taking on an unknown RHD when we could do much better with a guy we know that works?

just the same as what happened with boychuk this year, take it for future considerations. he’s LTIRetired and counts for approx. 5mil against the cap for just next year, if he gets traded after july 1 they only would owe him 2.5mil.

I don't see the point in taking on an empty cap hit when the team can spend close to the same amount for someone who would contribute and could be traded if a good offer comes along.

I understand the situation. And I know you "don't want to take on the salary". But you have to, that is why there is a cap floor. Cap floors and ceilings and all the other rules surrounding managing NHL salaries are there to promote circulation of value around the league, so that teams aren't hoarding picks and players and tanking constantly for better draft picks. Vegas is on the opposite end of that spectrum now and they are paying the price for it. Buffalo will probably be forced to trade and/or hold back some young players and acquire older more established players with higher cap hits because of these rules. I don't know what else to tell you. I mean... I'm a CHI fan... imagine if CHI got to skirt all the rules and keep all their young players just because they wanted to, they would still have Panarin, Teravainen, Raanta, Forsling, Saad, Danault, Hartman, Schmaltz, etc. Which... I would be all for rules that allow teams to keep players they developed and/or drafted and rules that allow for more cap flexibility. But I get that those rules are there to help teams in smaller markets, and those teams would crash and burn if certain rules weren't there to help them stay competitive against teams that have the capital to spend tons of money every year. At the same time, most of those "smaller markets" are really just conservative owners who don't want to spend money to make money.

While I agree that Pysyk has been a positive contribution to the blueline, Rutta is not an unknown, has more grit and much better with hits and blocked shotts. Rutta could give whoever plays left of him more comfort and room to move up the ice with the play.

Yeah. That's the entire point in signing several short term UFAs as show in this lineup example. It's to be above the cap floor which they would be. Adams is under no obligation per the rules to spend that allowable $20,500,000.00 between the cap floor and ceiling. Holding that in reserve to pay the eight UFAs over the next two offseason just makes sense and is in line with what Adams has done to date.

Ok. The way you and that other guy worded your responses, it seemed like maybe you were arguing. But yeah, you also have to get veterans to agree to short term deals though... Which is difficult. Everyone wants term and stability. I'm sure they will figure it out though.

Additionally, The Pegula's are anything but conservative owners. They have already spent $170MM on the Harbor Center addition to the arena, have plans developing to spend as much as $400MM on improvements to the arena and have spent to the ceiling on the Bills to win. This teams owner will spend if the GM asks for it.

just depends on who you can get to come to buffalo and how they want to allocate roster spots. it’s an easy way to the cap floor if they want to take it.

That's good news! I'd like to see Buffalo actually become a winning team. It's good for Buffalo and it's good for the NHL. Plus my dad is from Buffalo. So, I already have somewhat of an affinity for that city.