Let me get this straight. Thomas Vanek...for $50 million...over seven years. Has Lowe lost his effing mind?
If the Oilers succeed in this desperate gambit to snatch Vanek from the Sabres, not only will it cost them four first round draft picks (!!), but also the good-will of GM's around the league. The price-tag is incredibly inflationary for a kid like Vanek AND RFA's are "unofficially" out of bounds.
Ignoring the gentlemen's rules governing RFA offer-sheets, this is a bad, bad move by Lowe. Vanek's counting numbers are really impressive from last year, but probably inflated from playing on the Buffalo Sabres: largely because Vanek skated on a 3rd line that saw some of the softest minutes available, while guys like Briere and Drury took on the tougher competition (thus his +40 rating). Vanek may well turn into a superstar some day - but until he proves himself as such, paying him a whopping 7M+/season turns him into a liability. Not to mention, of course, the 4 first rounders this will cost - 4 potential future impact players down the tubes.
Expect the Sabres to grudgingly match the offer. I would hope they do if I were an Oiler fan at least.
And I thought it couldn't get any stranger up there. Wow.
UPDATE - The Sabres have matched the offer. Does Lowe move onto Parise now?
