Its August 1, and Sabres RFA center Cody Hodgson is still unsigned.
I told you earlier this week that talks between Darcy Regier and Hodgson's agent, Ritch Winter, are a work in progress.
My friends at TheFourthPeriod.com confirmed as much today. Hodgson spoke to TFP during a photo shoot this week.
The Toronto native is coming his three-year, entry-level contract where he had an annual salary cap hit of $1.667 million, much of which was bonuses-laden.
In a magazine photo shoot with TFP on Monday, Hodgson indicated that his agent and the Sabres are having ongoing dialogue about his next deal.
I sense that the only thing standing in the way of the two sides agreeing on a new contract is the dollars. CoHo is about to get paid. he scored 15 goals and added 19 assists in 48 games last season. He was a point a game player at AHL Rochester during the NHL lockout (19 points in 19 games).
I suspect that Regier is selling the Tyler Ennis-style "bridge contract" in the form of two years and $5.6 million. Hodgson's camp may have balked at the idea and are demanding a longer term deal at higher dollars per season. Might Hodgson be looking for Sam Gagner money now that the market for 23 year old NHL center was set last week when the Oilers avoided arbitration with their second line pivot by signing him to a three year, $14+ million contract, just before his arb hearing started in Toronto ? Is Gagner a $4.8 million AAV per season player? Is Hodgson?
Perhaps Hodgson's agent, Ritch Winter, is waiting for the other four notable 23 year old RFA centers to sign their next contracts before doing a deal for Hodgson with the Sabres.
Derek Stepan, Adam Henrique, Nazem Kadri, Marcus Johansson (center/winger), all sit in the same boat as Hodgson right now. Restricted free agents, waiting patiently for their next contract to be signed, sealed and delivered.
The Dallas Stars weren't kidding about wanting to re-build and re-purpose their organization. The Stars, like the Colorado Avalanche, are positive role models for the Buffalo Sabres to follow in that they aggressively re-tooled their teams via the draft and trade route, while on the fly. They seemingly said goodbye to the old, and hello to the new paradigm without missing a beat. Impressive turnaround. It proves that re-building a roster doesn't have to take 3-4 years. It can be a short-term, successful under taking, when done properly. The proof will be in the pudding for Ruff and the Stars because the only measure of success in the NHL is winning more games than the previous season. I like Ruff's chances to do so immediately, if not sooner.
The first of many moves came when ownership parted ways with former GM Joe Nieiwendyk. They quickly replaced him with longtime Detroit Red Wings AGM Jim Nill.
The goal was simple: Make Jame Benn the center piece of the Stars team and surround the young power forward and the other Stars' kids with skilled, battle-tested veteran players.
So, far, so good.
Nill wasted very little time hiring his friend Lindy Ruff to coach the Stars, who invested their first round draft choice in outstanding Russian winger Valeri Nichuskin.
Nill then executed a masterful trade when he shipped power winger Louii Eriksson to Boston for centers Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley. Nill further solidified his center corps by adding Edmonton Oilers captain Shawn Horcoff.
Earlier this week, the Stars announced that they will be sending their star center of the future , Radek Faksa ( 2012 1st round pick, 13th overall, one pick behind Mikhail Grigorenko) back to his OHL junior club, the Kitchener Rangers.
Before Nill and Ruff arrived in Big D, Faksa was a shoe-in to make the Stars' opening night roster. one month later, he's headed back to junior where he will be wheeling and dealing with Sabres prospect ( 2013 2nd rounder), Justin Bailey.
On Wednesday, I asked Bailey about the possibility of him playing alongside the 6'3 210 lb. super-skilled Faksa.
"He's pretty good. He was injured most of the year".
Faksa was sidelined by a sickness early on in the 2012 season. Later in the season, a serious knee injury kept Faksa off the ice for six weeks. In the end, he played in only 39 regular season games. However, he had great production for an abbreviated season. He collected 31 points on 9 goals and 22 assists. A healthy Faksa created six points ( 4 goals,2 assists) in 10 playoff games for the Rangers.
“He had all sorts of injuries and that hurt his goal production,” said Stars assistant GM Les Jackson. “But his game is pretty solid.”
Jackson told starsinsideedge.com that its in Faksa's best interest to go back to Kitchener, where he will get a ton if ice time and touches on the first line. He'll play PP and will be able to grow his game the old fashioned way: by playing huge minutes.
“He’ll spend the summer here with us (training), go to Traverse City (for the NHL Prospects Tournament), go to training camp and then go back to Kitchener, which is good because that’s where he should be,” said Jackson.
“He’s going to get a lot of ice there, he and the coach have a good relationship and I suspect he will take a big step next year.”
Justin Bailey is one happy man right now. The 18 year old power forward is about to begin his sophomore season in "The O". All signs are pointing towards the skilled big man (6'3 195) playing the role of Faksa's right hand man. Bailey will see a lot of scoring opportunities come his way by have a supremely skilled center like Faksa feeding him pucks. Imagine a Faksa as being a 19 year old Patrice Bergeron: big, fast, great vision, hands of a jewel thief. Faksa is a faceoff winning machine. He starts with the puck at a high rate. For Team czech Republic at the 2013 IIHF WJC tourney in Ufa, Russia, Faksa won 53 of 97 draws. That's a 54.6% win percentage. Bailey knows this, and is excited for the chance to play with such a skilled big man. Like Faksa, Bailey's 2012-13 season in Kitchener was marred by injuries. The Williamsville native suffered a concussion at the beginning of his rookie season at Kitchener. When he recovered and fully healed, he rebounded nicely to score 17 goals. He added 19 assists. 36 points in just 57 games is great production. He added a goal and two assists in the playoffs, too.
I asked Bailey if he felt that playing with Faksa could get him to the 25+ goal plateau.
"Yeah, I hope so. That's the plan", he told me.
Bailey's been working out all summer. He had a great prospects camp and was a standout in the Sabres Blue and Gold scrimmage. He's now ready to light the wick on a dynamite sophomore season.
More of Bailey's 2013-14 goals, plans, and aspirations later....
I tip my bucket to Pat Kaleta and the Sabres Alumni for their support of the SMART program.
They braved the rain on Thursday morning to raise funds for the SMART organization.
Thanks, sabres.com
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease. The motor neurons affect the voluntary muscles that are used for activities such as crawling, walking, head and neck control, and swallowing. Spinal Muscular Atrophy or SMA is the leading genetic cause of death among children less than 2 years old, affecting nearly 1 in 6000 new births. One in approximately 35 people carry a copy of the gene that causes SMA.
SMART is a grass-roots organization working to raise awareness and financial support for targeted research aimed at finding treatments and ultimately cures for SMA and related neuromuscular diseases. Currently, SMART is funding the laboratory of a world-renowned physician-scientist at Johns-Hopkins Medical Center, who is working on novel research avenues that may lead to life-altering therapies for SMA.
SMART will hold their 5th Annual SMART Celebration at First Niagara Center Saturday, August 3, from 1-6 p.m.
For more information, please visit www.smarthope.com.
Props to Patrick Kaleta, the Sabres Alumni, and the volunteers for their support of such a worthwhile cause.
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