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Murray Strengthens Core With Foligno

July 14, 2016, 6:34 PM ET [41 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
On Tuesday, Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray said that he has many other things to do than to wait for former Harvard standout Jimmy Vesey to call him on his cell phone.

Murray is dealing in the here and now. While Vesey plays an exhausting game of hide and seek with Murray, the Buffalo GM is constructing a formidable lineup of fierce foot soldiers and skilled guys.



Murray is in hunting and gathering mode right now. He's looking high and low for high character players who are adept at performing Buffalo's fast-heavy brand of hockey. He's doing whatever he has to do build the best roster he can for Dan Bylsma. Murray and Bylsma are already touting the Sabres as a playoff team in 2016-17 and to achieve their goal, they will need consistent contributions from their core performers.

One such core players is Marcus Foligno, whom Murray has signed to a one-year contract. I like the one year contract because Foligno will earn a sizable multi-year contract extension when he picks up right where he left off last season. When healthy and used properly by Bylsma, Foligno can easily be a 15 goal, 20 assist man.

Foligno, 25, was a restricted free agent who accepted his qualifying offer from Tim Murray in June.

Today, "Moose" put $2.25 million in his golf shorts pocket.


Foligno is entering his sixth season with the Sabres. Lasr season, he an Johan Larason foung winning chemiatry witg captain Brian Gionta. Marcus achieved career-highs in games played (75), goals scored (10) and points (23) during the 2015-16 season. Foligno finished the season +4. Under Bylsma, Foligno thrived because he finally his role was clearly defined for him. In his five year career in Buffalo, Foligno has played for for different heaf coaches in Lindy Ruff, Ron Rolston, Ted Nolan, and Dan Bylsma. Constant Flux at the head coaching position will stifle the development of young NHLers. Foligno was one such example of a young kid who needed to have his role clearly defined on a nightly basis. Finally, Bylsma did that for Foligno last season and the results were impressively consistent.

I looked at Marcus as Buffalo's Mike Rupp last season. He played big, stout, strong and was nasty on the walls. Foligno used his size to flush walls and to shield the puck from opponents. Foligno, on most shifts, found himself above the battle while he applied physical pressure to enemy attackers. Foligno used his 6'4" 225 lbs of beef to take opponents off pucks and it created turnovers that Larsson and Gionta turned into scoring chances. Foligno wil also punch a fool in the face if he dares to take liveries with Jack Eichel, Samson Reinhart, Ryan O'Reilly, Zemgus Girgensons, Tyler Ennis, Matt Moulson, Evander Kane, Brian Gionta, Johan Laraaon, Rasmus Ristolainen Jake McCabe and the other Sabres.

Drafted by the Sabres in the fourth round (104th overall) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Foligno has posted 93 points (36+57) and 261 penalty minutes in 267 career NHL games.


The signing of Foligno now leaves Tim Murray with a bit of a conundrum with his salary cap.

Murray has a sliver under $7 million in available salary cap space right now and he still has to sign RFAs Rasmus Ristolainen and Zemgus Girgensons.

Girgensons will be an easy deal to do as he accepted his qualifying tender. Zemgus will earn a raise to $1.3 to $1.5 million on a bridge contract of two years.

Ristolainen won't be as simplw a contract to execute because he will be paid in the $6 million AAV over five or six seasons. Risto's new deal takes effect immediately.

Signing Ristolainen and Girgensons will gobble up all remaining cap space for 2016-17.

Big fish UFA signee Kyle Okposo's $6 million AAV kicks in this season. Dmitry Kulikov's $4.33 million deal also impacts Murray's 2016-17 salary cap.

Murray can opt to place veteran forward Cody McCormick on long term injured reserve for his chronic blood clot issues. Doing do would free up another $1.5 million in cap space.




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Despite his salary cap concerns, Murray is still searching for a trade partner to deliver a puck moving QB to Buffalo.

How can he trade for Cam Fowler when he lacks the $4 million in cap space for 2016-17?

Murray will have to trade a contract to take on a contract like Fowler's. No worries.

Dollars out. Dollars in.

Bob Murray badly needs a big, tough, scoring left winger. Evander Kane's will earn $5.25 AAV this and next season.


Bob Murray can also trade for not so big but super fast, highly skilled winger Tyler Ennis and his $4.6 million contract. Ennis has three years remaining on his current deal.




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