The Buffalo Sabres have waived forward Tim Kennedy, less than a week after he was awarded a $1 million contract in arbitration. Multiple sources have cited a buyout as the purpose for the waiver process. Since Kennedy is under 26 years old the total salary the Sabres would have to pay would be $333,333 and the cap hit would be $166,667. If he is bought out he will become a UFA.
The move surprised many fans and members of the media as Regier did not hint at this outcome during his port-arbitration press conference. It is also surprising considering the Sabres actually have cap space to work with and a $1 million contract is hardly putting them in a bind.
Kennedy and Regier haven’t been reached but Kennedy’s agent Allain Roy is not pleased. If Regier is doing this as a piece of revenge for Kennedy not settling for the $800,000 the Sabres offered you have to question if it will be worth it.
The news of this process wasn’t supposed to leak until the buyout happened. Is it possible that they can trade him? I it possible that they keep him in the organization like Adam Mair and Nathan Paetsch? Is there any way that Brain Burke doesn’t pick him up? We’ll have to wait until tomorrow.