Sabres Add Ehrhoff To Defense For Next 10 Seasons

Under the reign of new owner Terry Pegula, the Buffalo Sabres have become extraordinarily active this offseason with little mind paid to financial restrictions that previously hindered the organization's ability to make high-valued additions. The Sabres recently pulled off a deal with the Calgary Flames that enabled them to acquire veteran defenseman and Tyler Myers soon-to-be mentor Robyn Regehr, as well as return Ales Kotalik to the city where he was once a consistent 20-goal scorer.

One day ahead of the opening of the unrestricted free agent market, the Sabres plunked a whole lot of money down for another defensive addition. TSN's Bob McKenzie broke the news that Buffalo signed defenseman Christian Ehrhoff to a whopping 10-year deal worth $40 million. The Sabres acquired Ehrhoff's negotiation rights from the New York Islanders for a fourth round pick Wednesday after the Islanders failed to reach an agreement following the acquisition of his rights from the Vancouver Canucks for their own fourth rounder.

This contract will count as a $4 million annual cap hit and, according to McKenzie, includes a modified no-trade clause and breaks down year-by-year as follows:

2011-12: $2 million in salary with an $8 million signing bonus
2012-13: $3 million in salary with a $5 million signing bonus
***note, Ehrhoff will see $18 million in his first two years with the Sabres***
2013-14: $4 million in salary
2014-15: $4 million in salary
2015-16: $4 million in salary
2016-17: $4 million in salary
2017-18: $3 million in salary
2018-19: $1 million in salary
2019-20: $1 million in salary
2020-21: $1 million in salary

So, two things seem certain from this deal - the Ilya Kovalchuk situation from last year taught general managers absolutely nothing and that it's a good bet we can plan Ehrhoff's retirement party for June 2018, which would be a bit early at right around 36 years of age.

At a $4 million cap hit, Ehrhoff certainly does provide the Sabres a good deal of value. He has proven over the past two seasons with the Canucks that he is a real offensive threat from the blue line and is especially effective on the man advantage. He posted 14 goals in each of the past two seasons and scored a career-high 29 points on the power play last year.

But a 10-year deal is a heavy committment, especially for a player that is not even remotely a superstar talent in the NHL. And while they will hope to reap the benefits from his scoring potential, they will need to deal with a defensive liability for the next decade, as well, as witnessed by a minus-13 effort in the recent postseason.

Buffalo may be happy that they now have an owner willing to spend, but it's rough to applaud an addition that could at least partially doom the future financial flexibility of the franchise. Not only are there players the team won't be able to get because of his cap hit, but also imagine just how much Tyler Myers' asking price just went up when he's ready to start hitting the bargaining table for a new deal!

Drury's Final Year Bought Out By Rangers

When the New York Rangers dealt Scott Gomez to the Montreal Canadiens two years ago, general manager Glen Sather was able to rid the organization of one of the two disastrous contracts he saddled the team with during the summer of 2007. On Wednesday, he was finally able to get rid of the other.

Chris Drury will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 following the Rangers' buyout of the final year of his five-year, $35.25 million contract. He was slated to earn $5 million in salary next season, but would have counted as a $7.05 million cap hit against New York's payroll. Bought out contracts still count against a team's cap, but at two-thirds of the remaining money owed divided over double the amount of years remaining. The Rangers will therefore owe Drury $3.77 million at a rate of $1.66 million against the team's cap in each of the next two seasons.

“Chris is a consummate professional, a tremendous competitor and an even better person,” stated Sather. “He gave his heart and soul to the Rangers organization in his time here and we wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

The need to end Drury's tenure with the Rangers was esssentially two-fold. First, he had failed to live up to his expectations since signing with the team four years ago. He came from Buffalo known as a 30-goal scorer with tremendous leadership qualities and a knack for coming up in the clutch. While the leadership part enabled him to be a captain during his entire tenure with the organization, he never scored more than 25 goals in a season with New York and barely ever came up big in the heat of the moment.

With the free agent market set to open at noon on July 1, there was also a need for more financially flexibility to sign somebody like Brad Richards and start throwing out offers to pending RFAs Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan. The $5.39 million saved in cap space by dropping the largely ineffective Drury will go a long way in accomplishing those tasks.

Drury, to his credit, handled the matter with the class and dignity he has exhibited during his entire 12-year career in the NHL.

"It was a great honor and privilege to be a New York Ranger for the past four years, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to fulfill that childhood dream," Drury told The New York Post. "The Rangers are a first-class organization with great people in the hockey, public relations, team services and community relations departments."

"I would also like to thank Ranger fans. They always inspired me to do the best I could in whatever role I was asked to play. Playing before them in the Garden was a thrill of a lifetime. I wish all the fans and the entire Ranger organization the best of luck in the future."

With a relatively weak free agent class this summer, Drury should not find it too difficult to find work - albeit at a much lower pricetag than the past four years. Drury still possesses strong leadership skills and remains a good two-way player, face-off specialist and penalty killing asset. For a team in need of a third line center, Drury could be a welcomed, cost-efficient option.

Flames Trade Regehr to Buffalo, Re-Sign Tanguay

After a bit of a delay, the Calgary Flames were able to complete a deal Saturday with the Buffalo Sabres that sent longtime Flames defenseman Robyn Regehr, forward Ales Kotalik and a 2012 second round draft pick to the Sabres in exchange for defenseman Chris Butler and center Paul Byron. Regehr needed to waive his no-movement clause in order for this deal to be completed, which is what held up the process as Regehr wanted to find out what other options were available. Apparently, there were none.

This is a tremendous acquisition for the Sabres, who gave up some decent talent to acquire Regehr but nobody that can't be replaced. Regehr is a 31-year old veteran of the game who has long been one of the better defensive talents in the NHL. He will bring a great deal of experience and leadership to a squad that could certainly use him for a boost at the backend - and somebody to influence youngsters like Tyler Myers. In fact, it was exactly Regehr's size and experience that general manager Darcy Regier had in mind when making this deal.

“Not just veteran leadership, but the added size as well. With the history that he has and the age he’s at, with years ahead to play, I think he can really do a lot for our younger defensemen,” Regier said. “We think that he can help and do a lot for someone like Tyler Myers. That combination of the youth and experience, that blend will do well for us.”     
This trade also marks a return to Buffalo for Kotalik, who has failed to be the same kind of offensive asset that he was before leaving the Sabres. Kotalik started his career in Buffalo and spent seven seasons with there, posting multiple 20-goal campaigns. But he was traded to Edmonton at the deadline in 2009 and signed with the New York Rangers via free agency that summer. He was then moved to Calgary in the Olli Jokinen trade and split times last year between the Flames and its AHL affiliate, Abbotsford. Perhaps a return to the team that drafted him in the sixth round (164th overall) back in 1998 will boost his performance.

Regehr is still owed a pretty penny money-wise, set to earn $8 million over the course of the next two seasons with an annual cap hit of $4.02 million. Kotalik will also earn $3 million in the final year of his current deal.



And the ability to dump that salary was a big reason why the Flames elected to deal both players. With the cap relief the Flames gained from the trade, they were able to re-sign winger Alex Tanguay to a five-year deal worth $17.5 million - or $3.5 million in salary and cap hit each season. This represents a $1.8 million raise from what he made on a one year deal with the Flames last year.

"As we looked at the potential [unrestricted free agent] market, we didn't see a player that was going to replace [Tanguay] and be as productive as we believe he can and will be," Flames general manager Jay Feaster told the press during the NHL Entry Draft weekend. "So, we're happy to have him back."

Tanguay, 31, made an impact in his return trip to the Flames last season, scoring 22 goals and 69 points in 79 games. It's production like that which made captain Jarome Iginla push very hard, according to Feaster, for his stay in Calgary to be extended.

"I think that the guy with the biggest smile today in Calgary isn't Alex, it's Jarome Iglina," Feaster said. "That's one guy that Jarome has made very clear that he very much wants back and wants to be able to play. And certaintly our entire organization is thrilled to have him back."

Setoguchi Shipped Off To Minnesota A Day After Signing New Deal

Apparently, the San Jose Sharks took a day to think about it and decided they had no interest in paying Devin Setoguchi the $9 million owed to him over the next three years, as per the terms of the new deal agreed upon between the two parties just one day ago. On the night of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, the Sharks shipped Setoguchi and his new contract, as well as a this year's first round (28th overall) draft pick and last year's first round (28th overall) selection Charlie Coyle, to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Brent Burns and a second round selection in 2012.

"Brent is an elite first-pairing defenceman that is just coming into his prime," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a press release. "We feel that he gives our blue line tremendous depth and versatility and will augment our existing core. He combines a dangerous offensive prowess with an abrasive presence in the defensive zone."



Burns, a 26-year old 2011 All Star, scored a whopping 17 goals last year and had 46 points overall. Both were career-highs and something that can only be improved as Burns enters the prime of his career. He will join Dan Boyle as two key blueliners capable of responsible work on both ends of the ice, though Burns brings with him the added benefit of size at 6'5", 219 pounds.

Burns enters the final year of his current contract, making $4 million in salary and counting as a $3.55 million cap hit to San Jose's payroll. It will be a priority for San Jose to get Burns inked long-term or face losing him to unrestricted free agency as early as next summer.

Setoguchi joins a lower pressure situation in Minnesota, where maybe a change of scenery can help him become a more consistent player. The Wild are always yearning for more scoring despite their defense-first mentality and Setoguchi should have little problem offering up top six forward numbers with them.

With the 28th overall pick, the Wild grabbed center Zack Phillips from the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL, where he played the pivot alongside third overall selection from the Florida Panthers Jonathan Huberdeau.

Toronto Maple Leafs Add Defenseman John-Michael Liles

Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke is always active around this time of year. And he was just ahead of the draft by pitching a deal with the Colorado Avalanche to add a weapon along the blue line in the form of 30-year old veteran John-Michael Liles.

It seems like Liles has been a rumor of trade bait for quite a few years already, so it's not entirely shocking that he was eventually dealt by a Colorado organization that he has spent his entire career with but is also trying to get its team somewhat rebuilt. The fact that the Maple Leafs only needed to let go of a second round pick in this weekend's draft is a bit baffling, however.

Liles essentially replaces Tomas Kaberle, who Toronto dealt to Boston near the trade deadline last season. In fact, it was the same second rounder that Burke acquired from the Kaberle deal that he sent right over to Colorado.

Liles could afford to be more consistent in his play, but he remains one of the league's better scoring defenseman with excellent value on the power play. He is coming off a season with six goals and 46 points with 18 total power play points. He boasts career-bests of 14 goals during both of the immediate seasons coming out of the lockout and racked up an impressive eight scores on the man advantage in 2006-07.

He will enter the final year of his contract next season, which pays out $4.5 million but counts as a $4.2 million cap hit to Toronto's payroll.