Yeap, it is. Who said hockey is just a winter sport? LMAO Lots of things happen in the off season. Unrestricted agency starts on July 1 and General Managers go into some kind of morph mode and over pay players to get them on their team. The lock out was to get a collective bargaining agreement that would keep salaries in check and impose a salary cap. An entire year without hockey only to see the cap continue to rise and the salaries follow suit. Bidding wars, the highest bidder gets the player. It matters not what happens to the rest of the team.............. or the rest of the league at this point. The cap is right around $56 million for the upcoming season. They did impose a floor too, $40 million. The object was to keep things competitive. Not so says some cities.... there are teams that are as much as $27 million away from reaching the minimum. OUCH!!! My boys are doing pretty good I have to say :) We are about $9 million below the cap and right around the self imposed cap the front office told us they would follow. It's ludicrous to just keep spending. Sure we'd all love that number one player on our team, but at what cost? Ticket price increase? I don't think so!
On Friday the front office announced locking up Ryan Miller for a six year extension. Wuuuuuu Huuuuuu After next season he will be earning about $6.25 million a year. One of the top paid goalies. Top goalie? I'd say above average, but not sure about top 10. Last year was not a good year. Lots of changes in the line up in the off season. On the way back to Buffalo after their first game Ryan found out his cousin had passed away from cancer. One of the reasons he started The Steadfast Foundation. I'm hoping that was a fluky year and the previous two are more his game... more the teams game.
It was whispered that Ryan wouldn't sign, but rather wait until the end of next year and test the market. Get involved in that bidding war process, get way overpaid, and most likely go to Detroit, his hometown. I inserted the audio version of his interview shortly after the signing. Hardly seems that is what he was thinking!
I am stoked he is signed, and looking forward to the front office getting Pommer's extended as well. That would make me happy. Really happy! I'd still like a stud defensemen, but signing Rivot for the blueline will be a good addition. Now... when does the season start?!?!?! I need a hockey fix!
