It seems odd they wouldn’t pay him now that he is medically cleared to rejoin the team.  Scott Niedermayer started collecting a paycheck as soon as he reported back with Anaheim, I thought - once he’s spending time with the team, he should be getting paid for it.  The organization has a reputation as a bunch of tightwads, but to stiff someone out of a couple weeks pay?

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/21/08 at 04:12 PM ET

Baroque -

It was revealed yesterday on WGR that the Sabres are ready & willing to pay for the last 8 games (now that he’s cleared), but that the NHL is actually telling them they can’t (probably due to the pending grievance).

What’s unfortunate is that there probably is going to be a settlement judgement whereby the Sabres have to pay him for the last 8 games (which they apparently are willing to do anyway), but it’s going to be spun that the “cheap bastards” paid him because they were “forced to” by an arbitrator.

On a similar tangent, people that compare the situation to Saiku Koivu and the Canadiens need to be aware that Koive’s contract was ALREADY insured, so it cost the Habs nothing.  Insurance on Numminen’s contract could not go into effect until he passed the opening physical (which he never did).  As a result, the Habs’ action wasn’t as “altruistic” as people think.

Nonetheless, the Sabres’ probably should have worked out some compromise in the Fall (say $500k) as a “goodwill gesture” towards Teppo rather than being “completely business.”

Posted by ElmaGolf on 03/25/08 at 11:01 AM ET