Buffalo Sabres: Remaining RFAs Forgo Salary Arbitration
By Paul Taylor
Of the 24 players who have elected for salary arbitration, none of the Buffalo Sabres remaining RFAs are included which, theoretically at least, is a good sign.
Towards the end of June, the Buffalo Sabres tendered qualifying offers to seven of their restricted free agents. Of the seven, Rasmus Ristolainen, Zemgus Girgensons and Marcus Foligno are yet to have their contract situation resolved.
As such, the NHLPA’s announcement that 24 players had elected for salary arbitration, was met with interest by hockey fans in Western New York. However, as confirmed by WGR550, none of the Sabres three remaining RFAs were included on the list.
On the surface at least, this appears to be a good sign. While there are obviously no guarantees at this stage, it theoretically alludes to each player being confident that new contracts will be negotiated prior to the start of the 2016-17 season.
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However, if you were to rank the three in terms of likelihood, Ristolainen appears to be the best bet for getting a deal done. While general manager Tim Murray at one point said a bridge deal was a possibility, he now believes a long-term deal will be agreed with the 21-year old defenseman.
Speaking to Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News and the rest of the local media last Friday, Murray said: “They tell us that he really wants to be here and certainly, we want him to be here.
“It’s not going to be an easy thing to hammer out and it’s not going to be cheap. But with young, good players, you tie them up and keep going.”
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Girgensons, at least if the available information to date is to be believed. There’s no denying the 2012 14th overall draft pick took a step back this past season, as he struggled to adapt to Dan Bylsma‘s system.
Further, the 22-year old has allegedly been considering other options, including playing for Dinamo Riga in the KHL during the upcoming campaign. Combined with the fact he could easily be demoted to the fourth line on the Sabres depth chart, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
This leaves Foligno, who believes he is worthy of an extension, especially after his most productive season to date in the NHL. The winger said as much, when speaking to John Vogl of The Buffalo News back in March.
Foligno said: “I’ve been showing the coaches that they can trust me out there in crucial situations and the offensive side of my game is there. I’ve figured it out.
“This is the best I’ve felt and the most consistent I’ve played. I believe I’m only going to get better from here on out.”
Certainly, this is probably a sentiment all three of the remaining RFAs will be trying to convey to the Sabres. Now, it remains to be seen how many of them Murray and the front office agree with.
Next: Development camp starts countdown to promising season
What were your initial thoughts upon finding out that none of the Sabres remaining RFAs have elected for arbitration? Do you see this as a promising sign, or do you still see any potential issues? Let us know in the comments section below.