Jay-Bo signs with Calgary
Jay Bouwmeester signed a five-year deal worth $33.4 million with the Flames, according to TSN. The former Panthers defenseman was on the top of my free-agent list and wound up signing for less than the seven-year deal for $50 million I suggested when playing GM for a Day.
He's a guy the Sabres really could have used. Flames GM Darryl Sutter deserves a high five for being proactive in trading for his rights and getting the deal done before free agency opens today. Bouwmeester took less than he would have received in the open market, in part because he was impressed with how the Flames went after him and also because he wanted to play near his native Edmonton.
If you're wondering why he signed a contract that was two years shorter and $500,000 a year less than what I suggested it would take to land him in Buffalo, it's because the Sabres would have been forced to pay more to get him here. The Sabres still have a recruiting problem after making a mess. It's why they say they're going the trade route, which will cost them assets rather than money.
--- Bucky Gleason
