Derek Roy going to arbitration with all the extra money the Sabres have to throw around? What gives?!?

Question

Anyone else a bit PO'ed about this one? WHAT are Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier thinking?!

11 o'clock news on Buffalo's Channel 4 7/4/07 stated that Roy is expected to file for arbitration.

Answer 1

Same old, same old. Cheap management squeezing every dime from their team and players who will leave the system because they are cheap once they are UFAs. This is exactly why Drury and Briere left. Not to mention Dumont the year before.

Answer 2

Because he knows he'll win. I cannot recall one instance of the arbitrator siding with ownership and limiting a player's salary, the salary is usually inflated based on compararables; because there are so many stupid owners out there who have overpaid players, another player who is mediocre will expect a same or similar amount. The Arbitrator usually agrees with that argument. Not that I think Quinn or Regier are doing a good job managing their assets but I do agree that Roy doesn't deserve $4 million a season either. Now Vanek on the other hand, does deserve at least $4 million a season and they'd better get him under a long-term deal or he will be leaving via free agency very soon. Roy saw his stock go up and knows he will get a much higher salary than he deserves via arbitration. The only advantage the Sabres have is that they do have the option of walking away from an arbitration award, or they can accept a one-year term. There will be TONS of much higher calibre free agents on the market next season so the Sabres can also bide their time, eat his arbitration salary this year, and then kick him to the curb for a much better player and watch him struggle to get a contract anywhere near what he had this season. Supply and demand is the only way salaries are going to be limited in the NHL when idiot managers are out there overpaying players in an attempt to save their own jobs. The more good players in the market the lower the salaries for middle of the road players.

Answer 3

For the last few years, the Sabres usually have offered the minimum raise, forcing the players to go to arbitration in most cases. At times, the team has reached an agreement with a player before the hearing or before the decision, probably depending on how they think it will go. If the Sabres think they can keep it to the 10 percent raise, they shut up and wait for the decision.

Don't be alarmed. It's a negotiating tactic, and nothing more. The Sabres may have an extra $8.5 million in play because of free agent losses, but you'd be surprised how fast that will get eaten up by such deals as Vanek's this summer. They also may try to get a couple of deals done early, such as with Campbell.

Answer 4

Just because they have the money doesn't mean the bank's open for all players on the roster. The Sabres have a certain figure set aside for Roy and that apparently is less than the player thinks he's worth.

I've personally never been that impressed by him, but it will be interesting to see how this shakes out. There's no question the Sabres have a PR nightmare on their hands, regardless of how much Roy is worth.

Answer 5

What a waste. Roy isn't worth going to arbitration over. Buffalo should just let him go and go sign someone else.

OR, maybe they could go to arbitration with Roy, then trade him LOL

Answer 6

This is exactly the route they took with Briere, and look where it got them. I thought that Quinn and Regier had learned their lesson with that HUGE mistake in tactics, I was wrong.

Answer 7

who says roys going to arbitration?

expected, yea any restricted free agent that hasn't been signed is expected to go to arbitration.

Answer 8

Just part of the process Catherine, it's OK for the teams to use the CBA to their advantage as well/

Answer 9

HE WILL SIGN A LONG TERM DEAL