Sabres Shuffling Prospects off to Portland? - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

This story has been brewing for a couple of weeks now, as the longest relationship between an NHL club and its AHL affiliate looks like it's about to come to a bitter end. The Buffalo Sabres and the Rochester Americans have been in business together for 29 years, but as of today a 30th is not in the offing.

The relationship between the two organizations has been sliding ever since Tom Golisano bought the Sabres. They've had dual-affiliation with the Florida Panthers for 3 years now (just one of the reasons why the Cats always play the Sabres tough) with the Sabres putting the minimum number of players in Rochester annually and refusing to pay for veteran players, which I suspect has as much to do with their own finances as anything else.

Quinn said the affiliation contract provided Rochester a chance to sign its own veterans, even those commanding a $200,000 AHL salary. Buffalo is charging only $18,000 per player, about half the normal rate. Florida's price is about the same. "So if Rochester is paying $400,000 for their affiliation and the going rate is $800,000, then Rochester could have had two of those (veteran) guys," Quinn said. "You got a break from the two NHL teams, sign some veterans."

The Amerks are swimming in debt, to the tune of $1.8 million dollars. The Sabres have made it clear that they would be open to buying the team from the current ownership group, but there hasn't been any serious discussions, according to majority owner Steve Donner.

It seems to me, that the Sabres are wanting to cherry-pick the Amerks at a rock-bottom price (the only numbers I could find say they offered Donner $2 million), while Donner is playing games with unnamed potential investors who he may be using to drive up the price.

From what's been reported by the Rochester D&C, though, it seems very unlikely that an arrangement between them will be worked out and the Amerks will become a full-time Florida Panthers farm team while the rumors are the Sabres are looking at switching their affiliation to Portland Maine.

Ta,