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Mark Pysyk and the Buffalo Sabres have agreed on a new two-year, $2.25 million deal, per Tim Wharnsby at CBC.
Pysyk will earn $1 million this season and $1.25 million next season.
Pysyk, 23, was the 23rd overall pick in 2010 NHL Draft.
In 2014-14, Ted Nolan and Tim Murray butted heads regarding Pysyk. Nolan wanted the kid elevated to Buffalo while Murray was in full tank mode. Murray acknowledges and respects Pysyk's unique skill set. He would have derailed the tank had be played in Buffalo last season. Without him, the Sabres finished 30th overall and selected Jack Eichel with the second overall pick in the NHL Draft.
Pysyk suffered from dehydration late in the season which caused him to collapse during a pick up hoops game with his Amerks teammates. The Sabres ran him through a full battery of neurologic and physical tests to make certain that he was not suffering from a serious ailment. He was given a clean bill of health in May and has been working out at his home in Sherwood Park, Alberta this summer.
Last season, he played 7 games in Buffalo and collected 2 goals and an assist. In 54 games played in Rochester he scored 3 goals and added 14 assists.
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Touchdown in Marbella!!ðŸŒ´â˜€ï¸ lunch after a hard workout this morning👊🿠#JohnnyD pic.twitter.com/6vSGHBP2Sy
— Oliver Kylington (@Olliekdot) July 14, 2015Johnny Oduya is taking his Stanley Cup rings and is leaving ChiTown.
The Blackhawks' 2014-15 Stanley Cup roster is a shadow of it's former self. Several key players have bid farewell to The Madhouse on Madison in the past three weeks. All involuntarily left the Hawks employ.
Oduya's agent, Don Meehan of Newport Sports, said Tuesday that Oduya will not be re-signing with the Blackhawks. He will instead be signing with another team. He has been linked to the Buffalo Sabres for weeks. He reportedly turned down a Tim Murray 3 year, $15 million contract offer. Murray has worked with Oduya's agent to make recent trades for Ryan O'Reilly, Evander Kane, Robin Lehner, and David Legwand.
This is me speculating here, but, I'm sure that Murray has spoken with Oduya's agent in the past 24 hours. Remember, Oduya, O'Reilly, Kane, Lehner and Legwand all are represented by the same agency. Murray didn't learn of O'Reilly's legal issue until after the dinner hour on Monday night. One presumes that the GM and agent have spoken in the past 24 hours either about O'Reilly, Oduya, or both.
I envision their chat going something like this:
Murray: "Hey, what's up with O'Reilly?!"
Agent: "Errr, uhhh, Hey.. uh, you wanna talk some more about Johnny Oduya?..."
Murray: "Ok, here's the deal. I want your client to play a top pair role for the next 4 seasons. I think he can live with $20 million. Don't you?
Agent: "Now you are talking. Let me call Johnny and I will get right back to you...."
Murray doesn't just want Oduya. He needs Oduya.
I've been telling you for months that Oduya has been a target of the Sabres. They love his quick-up breakout passing, his durability, and his ability to play 22-24 minutes per game. Oduya's stock rose dramatically during the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs when he and fellow Swede and D partner Nik Hjalmarsson were Joel Quennville's shutdown pair. Tim Murray also respects that Zach Bogosian and Evander Kane had nice chemistry when they played together in Atlanta and Winnipeg.
The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets are also reportedly in on Oduya.
On Sunday, Murray said as long as Oduya is unsigned and truly free that he will continue to pursue the veteran D-man. Murray no doubt has offered the lefty a slot on Buffalo's top D pair with Bogosian. There's a lot to like about Buffalo's revamped roster of forwards with EKane, Ryan O'Reilly, and Jamie McGinn joining generational talent Jack Eichel, hot shot rookie Samson Reinhart, Matt Moulson, Tyler Ennis, Zemgus Girgensons, Marcus Foligno and others. Buffalo's D corps is impressive when you add to in Rasmus Ristolainen, Josh Gorges, Mark Pysyk, Mike Weber, Jake McCabe and Carlo Colaiaocovo.
Oduya may opt to play instead with rock stars Tyler Seguin, Jamkie Benn, Jason Spezza and his ChicagBro Patrick Sharp.
The Blackhawks have shaken hands and bid adieu to Cup heroes Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad, Brad Richards and Antoine Vermette from last season's team. Bryan Bickell may be the next to leave the Hawks. Sharp was traded to the Dallas Stars and Saad to the Columbus Blue Jackets, while Richards signed with the Detroit Red Wings and Vermette with the Arizona Coyotes as unrestricted free agents.
Oduya and Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has been working hard to carve out necessary cap space to retain Oduya, however, that became less likely when the Blackhawks acquired veteran offensive Dde?D-man Trevor Daley from the Stars last Friday. The Blackhawks currently have $981,000 in cap space and still are expected to re-sign RFA center Marcus Kruger.
Oduya signed a three-year, $10.125 million contract extension with the Blackhawks after the 2011-12 season.
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