Statement Day for Regier and Quinn
Posted 8:57 AM ET | Comments 6
So Derek Roy's arbitration hearing is set for tomorrow, July 27th. So far this summer, there hasn't been much positive PR coming from HSBC Arena. Locking up Vanek, although a major step, might be the only "positive" thus far. After the initial heartbreak of bad breakups with #48 and #23, I have rebounded to the point of somewhat buying into the "we're going to be allright" mentality. I feel good about the opportunities presented to Paille, Gaustad, Hecht, etc. to step up and become leaders on the team. So the question is...will the next 24 hours bring an announcement on a new deal for Derek Roy? I found the signing of Lee Stempniak by St. Louis interesting this week. This deal should be a better indication of Roy's future contract than the situation with the Kings and Mike Cammalleri. I just looked at Stempniak and Roy's career NHL totals for comparison.
Stempniak 139 GP: .29 Goals per game, .56 Points per game
Roy 194 GP: .24 Goals per game, .65 Points per game
Similar comparables, maybe Roy's a touch more of an assist guy. Does it stand to reason that if Stempniak is 3/$7.5, that Derek Roy should be somewhere in the 3/$9 range? I know, this hasn't exactly been a 'reasonable' month in the NHL. And Derek Roy has the leverage of being the only remaining "offensive" center left on the roster, the key set-up man to Vanek. There are many who believe that the wheels were set in motion for Briere to leave town one year ago when he went to the arbitration market. Now it's deja vu all over again. The Sabres' locker room has seen their two leaders removed, "not taken care of" by management. Does Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn risk the same thing happening with Derek Roy? Have they learned anything in the last 12 months? Good thing no other team put an offer in on Roy, or they really would have been in trouble. My gut tells me that we'll hear something, and a contract will be settled prior to the hearing. I certainly believe it would be a positive step in rebuilding some trust and positive PR with the Sabres fan base. IF they agree to terms with #9, can we then try to convince them to take another look at that "we don't negotiate during the season" stance....
Stempniak 139 GP: .29 Goals per game, .56 Points per game
Roy 194 GP: .24 Goals per game, .65 Points per game
Similar comparables, maybe Roy's a touch more of an assist guy. Does it stand to reason that if Stempniak is 3/$7.5, that Derek Roy should be somewhere in the 3/$9 range? I know, this hasn't exactly been a 'reasonable' month in the NHL. And Derek Roy has the leverage of being the only remaining "offensive" center left on the roster, the key set-up man to Vanek. There are many who believe that the wheels were set in motion for Briere to leave town one year ago when he went to the arbitration market. Now it's deja vu all over again. The Sabres' locker room has seen their two leaders removed, "not taken care of" by management. Does Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn risk the same thing happening with Derek Roy? Have they learned anything in the last 12 months? Good thing no other team put an offer in on Roy, or they really would have been in trouble. My gut tells me that we'll hear something, and a contract will be settled prior to the hearing. I certainly believe it would be a positive step in rebuilding some trust and positive PR with the Sabres fan base. IF they agree to terms with #9, can we then try to convince them to take another look at that "we don't negotiate during the season" stance....
What did we all learn last year? If it goes to arbitration count on the player being overpaid. Thus I hope against hope Darcy gets him locked down for something reasonable.
on that same token, if you're Derek Roy, you know you're probably the top center. why would you sign a "reasonable" contract if you know your value is due for a big increase? you don't think his agent is thinking that? Roy has all the leverage in the world. I'd be thrilled to get a deal done before his hearing, but my point is the ball is not completely in Regier's court.
Exactly what is it the Sabres have done right this offseason? Vanek is now highly overpaid. No moves to improve this team.......Now Roy has them backed into a corner and they will overpay him too. When will everyone understand that as long as Quinn is involved with the Sabres, things will deteriorate. Quinn was a problem during his first stint with the Sabres and he is up to his old tricks again.....As I have said before...Quinn must go!!!!!!
I was very surprised that Stempniak signed that cheap. He led the team in goals and was 2nd on the team in points. I figured with the crazy market he was in for about $3.5-4M/season. I thought that Roy was worth about $2-3M before free agency started. I'm curious what Paetsch thinks he's going to get in arbitration? He was the 7th defensman and doesn't really have any stats. I think he is worth a lot to the team since I hope they get rid of Kalinin, but that won't be shown in arbitration.I will tell you as someone who has to deal with Quinn in other regards - he is a pain in the ass and ruins everything he is involved in. He is the type of person who has to take complete control of everything. If the Rigas' only did one thing right it was getting rid of him...
I think the best part of your blog is simple, yet speaks volumes. You stated, "The Sabres' locker room has seen their two leaders removed, "not taken care of" by management." This is exactly what I feared most after the Drury/Briere fallout. The ramifications stretch further than simply losing those two. I wish I had the same gut feeling you do. My gut says this goes to arbitration, maybe not because the front office haven't tried, but because of the quote I pulled from your blog. Roy knows the situation, his agent knows the situation, and they may simply opt to go to arbitration and then test the market themselves in year or two (depending on the hearing's results). All in all, great post!
Great points Brasco. I kinda of have a similar post. I think the comparison of Stepniak