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Petro Principle

August 6, 2013, 7:42 PM ET [75 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Sabres GM Darcy Regier and St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong find themselves in very similar circumstances right now. Each GM has one RFA star player left to sign. Each player is 23 years of age. Each player out-played his entry level contract, meaning, each player improved dramatically in years two and three of his entry level contract. Each player is trending upwards in offensive production for this season and beyond.

So, what's the issue?

Each GM is cognizant of his respective player's comparably paid counterparts around the NHL. Each GM has set his own value for his own player. Each GM has a salary cap to be mindful of. Both Regier and Armstrong are getting back pressure from their respective fan bases as to when the restricted free agents will be signed to new, long-term contract extensions.

Not so fast. Did anybody see the bridge? Sorry, I couldn't resist a Led Zeppelin shout-out. Seemingly, Hodgson and Pietrangelo and other current-future star RFAs like Kadri, Stepan, Henrique, and Johnasson are skating at their home town rinks right now wondering when their next deal is going to be done.

Each player will be paid for yesterday's production, as well as for tomorrow's growth.

The GMs and agents must agree on the true value of each player to his team. Frankly, in Hodgson and Pietrangelo, you have to of the to 15 players at their positions in the NHL. Don't let their age mislead you. These guys are integral spokes in the wheels of their teams.

In this corner in Buffalo Sabres top line center Cody Hodgson. He's been Buffalo's #1 center since the 2011 trade deadline when Regier brought he and D Alex Sulzer to Buffalo in exchange for Zack Kassian and Marc Andre Gragnani. A great trade for Buffalo, and for Hodgson as well. He and then coach Alain Vigneault were at odds, and he couldn't crack the top nine forward group in Vancouver. The trade game at a time when Hodson needed a change of scenery the most. he has grown as a player and has been a go-to guy in Buffalo. Occasional defensive zone gaffes aside, Hodgson is a reliable contributor. He feeds the beast that is Thomas Vanek. He's earned himself another deal in Buffalo. I feel he's earned more than the two year "bridge contract" that Tyler Ennis signed last September before the lockout ended. Ennis signed for two years and a $2.8 AAV per season. Hodgson's production suggests that he's in line for a higher AAV than Ennis received. Perhaps thats the reason why CoHo is still waiting for his next contract to be presented to him. In the 68 games that he's played for Buffalo since the trade, Hodgson has scored 18 goals and has added 24 assists. 42 points in 68 games. Nice production. He also chipped in 19 points in 19 games in AHL Rochester when he played for the Amerks during the NHL lockout.

Right now, Hodgson is Buffalo's best all around center. Young bucks Ennis, Grigorenko and Girgensons will come to training camp looking to unseat Hodgson, however, he's #1 right now. Should he be paid like a number one center?

Hodgson is likely asking for "x". The Sabres are likely countering with "x" minus "y".

Therein lies the conundrum.




Does Regier bite the bullet and pay Hodgson an average salary of $3.5 million now---the same amount that Matt Duchene, Hodgson's former Brampton Battlaion teammate signed for for two seasons, last summer?

I also get the sneaking suspicion that Hodgson's agent is working the sam gagner angle in the RFA talks with Buffalo. Last week, Gagner avoided his arbitration when he accepted a three year, $14 million contract extension from the Oilers. fair deal all the way around. Had Gagner gone before the arbitrator, his ruling likely would have been in the $5M to $5.5M AAV range for a one year contract. The Oilers didn't overpay for Gagner at $4.4M AAV per season. Neither side got punked in the negotiation. Its a true win-win in that Gagner wanted to stay and finish the work that he had started when he started his NHL career in Edmonton at age 18. Now he's 23, with five years NHL experience and he's ready to lead the Oilers to bigger and better things, namely, the playoffs.

Shouldn't Regier be thinking about Hodgson in the same manner? The kid has proven that he can play and succeed in the NHL, why not pay him now so that he can be a key cog in the re-boot process that the Sabres organization finds itself in right now.

Or, is Regier sticking to his guns? Ennis deal. Take it or leave it?

The Sabres are sitting with $10 million in cap space as I sit and write this. They signed RFA Corey Tropp to a one year, $577,000 contract on Tuesday morning. Hodgson has a piece of added leverage to use in his contract negotiations with Regier in that he is Thomas Vanek's centerman. vanek admires CoHo';s ability to pass both right and left. He and vanek have created a nice chemistry with one another since the trade with Vancouver brought him to Buffalo in February 2011. Regier traded Vanek's best friend and right winger jason Pominville in March. Does Regier want to alienate Vanek altogether by hard-line negotiating with his line mate Hodgson? We'll know how serious Regier is about keeping vanek in Buffalo long term based on the way the GM handles the Hodgson contract. If the Sabres play hard ball with CoHo, it may be the tipping point to launch Vanek out of Buffalo. However, if they give Hodgson more than the two year $5.6 million Ennis deal, say 3 years and $11 million, perhaps Vanek views it as another reason to want to re-sign a long term deal to stay and play in Buffalo.

The Sabres have the available cap space. What is Regier waiting for? Why not finish up all of the contract work now, and start concentrating 100% his attention on the three bigger elements:

1). Ryan Miller
2). Thomas Vanek
3). Adding UFA(s) like Brenden Morrow or Damien Brunner to add pop to the lineup



In the other corner is St. Louis Blues D stud Alex Pietrangelo.



Pietrangelo finds himself is the same boat as Hodgson. An ompressive bidy of work that he created during his first three years in the NHL. At age 23, now ready to compete for a Norris Trophy for best D man in the NHL and ready to lead his team to deep playoff runs.

Seems like a no brainer to give the kid his 8 year, $7-$7.5M contract now. Doesn't it?

On Tuesday afternoon, Blues GM Doug Armstrong told BND.com:

"I don't make any deadlines because once you pass the deadline you're going to go back on your word or you've painted yourself in a corner," said Armstrong, whose last remaining task to complete the Blues' roster this summer is negotiating a deal with restricted free agent defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. "Our goal is to get Alex signed prior to training camp --and I hope that's his goal, too."



Armstrong better have eyes on the back of his head because Pietrangelo is a prime candidate to be thrown a big, fat, greasy offer sheet. Philly did it to Shea Weber in the summer of 2012. Whats to stop them from doing likewise to Petro tomorrow? Armstrong has said on the record that St. Louis would match any offer sheet(s) that may be presented to Pietrangelo.

"Each contract has it's own certain dynamics and Alex's representatives and myself are talking about a lot of different options," Armstrong said, "but it's going to have to be one that both sides are comfortable with.

I don't think Alex will sign if he feels that it's win-lose in the Blues' favor --and I know the Blues won't sign if it looks like a win in his favor."


Last week, Armstrong veered impulsively out of negotiations with Pietrangelo's agent to negotiate a new contract for Jay Bouwmeester (5 years, $27 million contract extension). Why? Bouwmeester has one year remaining on his current deal. Why take your eye of the prize Pietrangelo, Doug?

"To me there's no correlation between the two," Armstrong said. "Our goal is to be a very competitive team this year and moving forward. I don't think anyone's played any more minutes in the NHL than Jay Bouwmeester since 2002. He has a commodity that's hard to find, playing 25 to 28 minutes a night and not getting injured. Knock on wood, that's what we'll have for the next six years."


In 224 NHL games, Pietrangelo has 29 goals and 121 points, including his breakout 2011-12 season when he racked up 12 goals and 51 points. He was immediately named Norris Trophy nominee, and rightly so.

Pietrangelo had five goals and 24 points in 47 games last season, then had one goal and one assist in the first-round playoff loss to Blues nemesis, the LA Kings.

Petro, a former Niagara Ice Dogs star, will head to training camp the #1 D on the Blues roster. Shouldn't he be paid like it?

I'm thinking that perhaps the Blues and Armstrong may be looking at Pietrangelo and seeing a Tyler Myers-style meltdown coming in the neatr future.

The Sabres D Tyler Myers, also 23, was taken 12th overall. Pietrangelo was taken 4th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. two summers ago, Buffalo signed him to a massive 7 year, $38.5 million extension.

Then, inexplicably, Myers' production went from 11 goals and 48 points in his rookie season of 2009-10 to a putrid 3 goals and 8 points in 39 games. Granted, the 2013 regular season was only a 48 game slate due to the lockout. However, Myers was abducted by bidy snatchers and the Sabres are hoping that he will be returned to them unscathed in the next three weeks.

Is Armstrong leary of a Myers-like letdown?

"We think Alex is really an exceptionally strong player," Armstrong said. "He's basically living up to his draft status. When you go in the top five in the draft there are expectations and he's exceeding those expectations. He's only 23 years old and he's progressing."


Armstrong is in no hurry to get this Pietrangelo contract hastily signed and submitted. he's taking his time.

"It's an important contract for the organization, but it's nothing out of the norm of what I've done in the past," Armstrong said of the Pietrangelo negotiations. "There's a lot under the surface on these negotiations and it's probably better to stay under the surface. I don't think the fans really want to hear any more whining about economics, they want to see hockey.

"He'll get done when he gets done and that's all I can say about it."



Regier is of the same mind as Armstrong.

Hodgson's deal will get done. When it gets done.

In the meantime, Hodgson and Pietrangelo go to the rink every morning, or in Hodgson's case, to Gary Robert's camp at BioSteel in Toronto. Their respective agents are doing all of the heavy lifting for their clients while Regier and Armstrong keep their eye on the economics.

Its a fascinating dance. Isn't it?

Mike Augello and I discussed the CoHo situation. We also delved into the Thomas Vanek situation in Buffalo and more on today's " Hockeybuzz Cast".

Take a listen. Press play now.







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When you were at work, the Sabres signed RFA winger Corey Tropp to a one year contract, per the team. The cap hit is $577,000. The Sabres now have $10M in availkable cap space to use this season.

The rambunctious winger missed 99% of last season due to a serious knee injury.The Michigan State alum blew out his ACL in his left knee last October, which required reconstructive surgery to repair. I saw him in and around the Sabres room in April. He told me at the time that he was feeling great. He worked out and skated in Buffalo during his rehab period, however, he never made it back in time to play in another regular season game for the Amerks or Sabres.

He's healthy, motivated, and will come to camp looking to crack the Sabres starting lineup. Like Pat Kaleta, Tropp is a southpaw who can land bombs. He creates time and space for his line mates and he never has to be told to stick up for his team mates.



Thanks, sabres.com


Tropp adds value to the Sabres because he can skate well, which makes him a ferocious fore checker and he can finish when he has pucks on his stick. Its not out of the realm of possibility for tropp to chip on 10 goals, 10 assists and 60 PIMs for the Sabres this season.
Tropp is a bit of a chameleon in that he can play in the Buffalo top six, as well as playing in the bottom six. He has the speed, skill, vision, and physicality to play on a second line. I can see a line of Foligno-Ennis-Tropp as an effective, productive NHL line. Ennis would have room to wheel, create, and distribute because he's protected by two physical wingers who hold pucks and win wall battles. If Tropp emerges successfully from his surgery, and there's no reason to believe he wont, then he may make Drew Stafford expendable. 82-63-78 could be an X-Factor unit for Buffalo this season. Thus, Buffalo would be able to trade Stafford's $4 million contract. Stafford better up his game, or else Tropp will take his roster spot. O expect a battle royale in training camp amongst the RWs with Stafford, Kaleta, Flynn, Armia and Tropp all fighting for jobs. I can also see Tropp playnig with Grigorenko on Buffalo's third unit. Tropp has the size, strength, speed and skill level to play with Grigorenko.


First, he must make the team.

His first step to impressing the Rolston and Regier will be at the Traverse City prospects tourney in his home state of Michigan in September. Tropp played an integral role for teh Sabres prospects who won their first ever Traverse City championship in September 2011. Tropp will lead the Sabres young guns into battle as they look to defend their title belt.

Here's the official statement from the Sabres:


Buffalo Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier today announced that the Sabres have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with forward Corey Tropp.

Tropp (6'0", 185 lbs., 7/25/89) recorded four points (2+2) in just six games with the Rochester Americans (AHL) in the 2012-13 season after sustaining an injury in the Amerks’ season-opener that sidelined him for 72 games. In three AHL seasons, Tropp has appeared in 109 games, totaling 66 points (21+45) and 166 penalty minutes. In 2011-12, Tropp was recalled to the Sabres five times, registering eight points (3+5) and 20 penalty minutes in 34 NHL games.










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