There’s nothing that Ennis can do right now. He’s skating, waiting for something to give.
Ennis’ entry level deal expired on July 1, thus qualifying the “Waterbug” for restricted free agency. On July 31, the Sabres extended their other RFA, Pat Kaleta, to a three year contract extension. At that time, it appeared as though Darcy Regier and the agent for Ennis were getting closer to signing the crafty centre-winger to a contract extension in the 2-3 year range.
Then, the calendar flipped to August, then September, and all Hell broke loose in terms of other NHL teams (ironically, both large and small market teams) distorting the marketplace by extending their key, young building-blocks to multi-year contracts with generous annual cap hits. As the owners and NHLPA sparred fervently back and forth on the topics of such things as 24% rollbacks and contract term limitations, the owners were busy having their cake and eating it too.
In all, nine players have signed multi-year contract extensions in the past month and change. The result is that its created is a huge question mark as to what the true value is for Ennis, and the other unsigned RFAs.
Lets review the feeding frenzy:
8/8: Carolina signs centre Jeff Skinner to a 6 year contract extension at a $5.725 million annual cap hit.
8/14: Montreal signs winger Max Pacioretty to a 6 year contract extension at $4.5 million annual cap hit.
8/17: Philadelphia signs winger Wayne Simmonds to a 6 year contract extension at $3.975 million annual cap hit.
8/20: Philadelphia signs winger Scott Hartnell to a 6 year contract extension at $4.75 million annual cap hit.
8/22: Edmonton signs winger Taylor Hall to a 7 year contract extension at $6 million annual cap hit.
8/29: Ottawa signs centre Kyle Turris to a 5 year contract extension at $3.5 million annual cap hit.
8/31: Edmonton sign centre Jordan eberle to a 6 year contract extension at $6 million annual cap hit.
9/7: Boston signs winger Brad Marchand to a 4 year contract extension at $4.5 million annual cap hit.
9/11: Boston signs winger Tyler Seguin to a 6 year contract extension at $5.75 million annual cap hit.
Its hard for the hawk NHL owners like Karmanos, Snider, and Jacobs to defend their position that the league needs to institute contract term limitations to five years, when they are out shooting their wad on locking up their young players to extensions that exceed five seasons.
With all of the economic uncertainty and the impending expiration of the current CBA at midnight on Saturday 9/15, one wonders if there is a rollback on salaries, if these nine gargantuan contracts will be subject to change, or, if they will be “grandfathered in” to the new CBA.
Right now, no one knows. As I write this, the 350+ NHLPA members are in a meeting with the owners in Manhattan. No one wants to see a third lockout under the Bettman regime. The players want to be paid fairly and equitably. Players want to play. The owners want a bigger piece of the revenue pie.
So where does this leave Tyler Ennis?
He’s not alone on the good ship RFA.
“A lot of RFAs are in the same boat,” he said. “I’m not frustrated.”
Ennis is on the outside looking in right now, as is Colorado’s Ryan O’Reilly, Winnipeg’s Evander Kane, Florida’s Dmitry Kulikov, Montreal’s PK Subban, New York Ranger Michael Del Zotto and Washington’s John Carlson.
Ennis believes that the current conundrum relating to the expiration of the CBA can be playing a factor in Buffalo’s lack of urgency to sign the speedy centreman.
“Maybe people are waiting to see what happens,” Ennis told @billhoppenhl on Tuesday.
Might Ennis be signed to his gleaming new extension before the witching hour of midnight on Saturday night?
“We’ll see,” Ennis said. “Maybe.”.
For now, Ennis skates in Buffalo, and he waits……….
With all the talk of impending doom and gloom in the NHL regarding the soon-to-be expired current CBA, the Sabres are creating good will in the Western New York community.
There will be miles of smiles in and around Pegulaville on Wednesday September 7 at 7pm, Buffalo Sabres players and alumni will be on hand at the Miracle League Field on Grand Island to play baseball with the 60+ kids who participate in the Miracle League of WNY program.
The Buffalo Sabres Foundation and Sabres Alumni Association each donated $75,000 to help pay for the construction of the field in 2011. The game will feature one inning of play.
The complex will serve as the playing field for The Miracle League of WNY, the local chapter of the nationally organized Miracle League, which provides the opportunity for disabled athletes from around the country to play organized baseball. Besides a specially designed playing surface, the complex features a concession stand and bathrooms that are wheelchair accessible.
Fundraising for the field began in July 2010 and quickly attracted the attention of the Sabres, the Sabres Alumni, the Town of Grand Island and several other corporate sponsors, all of whom donated time, money and resources to build the complex. Members of the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Foundation were on hand in April 2011 for the groundbreaking and construction was completed four months later, well ahead of the one to two years it usually takes for a project of this kind.
Sabres players who are scheduled to attend:
Nathan Gerbe, Marcus Foligno, Cody Hodgson, Corey Tropp and Luke Adam, as well as Buffalo Sabres alumni, like Grand Island residents Larry Playfair and Rene Robert.
Miracle League Field of WNY Presented by the Buffalo Sabres, Veterans Park, Bedell Road, Grand Island, N.Y.
Sabres.com documented the grand opening of the Miracle Field last August.
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