C, Ryan O’Reilly signed with the Buffalo Sabres, seven-years worth $52.5 million (7.5 million per year)
O’Reilly came way of trade from the Colorado Avalanche. Unable to reach an extension past the 2015-2016 season, general manager Joe Sakic decided to pass him off to the Sabres general manager Tim Murray. With open arms, he took the deal and even extended the center for another seven years. O’Reilly’s contract is uniquely structured. Here is how hockeybuzz.com explains it:
…”O’Reilly is getting a salary of just $1 million per season. That means roughly 87 percent of the contract will be paid in the form of signing bonuses. He will get a $10 million bonus in 2016-17, $8 million in 2017-18, $7.5 million in 2018-19 and $5 million for each of his final four seasons.”
The good thing-his base salary is cheap and doesn’t not a heavy hit to the Sabres salary cap for his contract. The bad thing is- the additional money is made up of bonus. That’s money guaranteed to O’Reilly.
Fans will see if O’Reilly is worth it or just another flooded contract.
