Former Fighting Sioux hockey player Drew Stafford is still without a new deal with training camp approaching. Incidently, Drew Stafford is represented by agent former Harvard and Washington Capitals tough guy/star Neil Sheehy. This summer there have been a few RFA's this summer that are unsigned and it makes you wonder what kind of contract these guys are asking for? If a 46 point guy is worth 4 million then what is a 60 point guy worth?
Sabres training camp starts Saturday morning, and the biggest question is will Drew Stafford be in attendance? The answer is a resounding "I don’t know."
Sabres General Manager Darcy Regier and Neil Sheehy, Stafford’s agent, had identical responses today regarding whether the restricted free agent would be signed before the Sabres take the ice in HSBC Arena.
"I don’t know yet," Regier said.
Sheehy, by phone, answered: "I’m always hopeful, but I don’t know."
The sides were scheduled to chat in hopes of clearing the biggest obstacle: How much is the 23-year-old right winger worth?
"It’s always money," Regier said. "Every one of these situations has always come down to money. 'Not enough,' from their side, and, 'Too much,' from our side."
Stafford, the Sabres’ first-round pick in 2004, is penned in as a top-six forward in Buffalo. He set career highs last season with 20 goals and 25 assists. He made $984,200.
It’s possible the Stafford camp could be looking at Florida right wing Nathan Horton as their standard because of their similarities. The Panthers’ first-round pick in 2003 also had 45 points last year. Horton is 6-foot-2, 229 pounds, while Stafford is 6-2, 202. Horton is entering the third year of a six-year, $24 million deal.
[Sabres Edge]
No comments:
Post a Comment